The Widow Weasley
by drcjsnider
Summary: Twenty years after the Battle of Hogwarts the heroes of the Second Wizarding War begin to be assassinated. How far is the Ministry willing to go to stop these attacks? Draco/Hermione Rose/Scorpius - Story is completed, I'll be posting 1 chapter a week.
1. Chapter 1

Story Notes:

Many thanks to thebigdisaster who was a great cheerleader and made sure I got this finished on time. I'm also awed by great artwork that Inspired_Ideas did for this story. Finally, a huge hug goes out to Kazfeist, who beta'd this story at the last minute. I mucked around with it after she saw it, however, so any mistakes are all mine.

**2 May 2022**

It was Hermione's least favourite day of the year, the anniversary of when Harry had defeated Voldemort. It should have been a day of celebration. It should have been a day that brought the Wizarding World together in unity. It should have been a time when old prejudices were laid aside, and friends and family remembered what was important in their lives. And actually, for the first 19 years after Voldemort's fall, that was exactly what had happened. Wizarding communities around Britain had spent the day giving thanks for having successfully withstood evil forces of prejudice, hatred, and megalomania.

That had all changed, however, five years ago when Kingsley Shacklebolt, war hero and Minister of Magic, had been assassinated. The assassin had been killed by Shacklebolt's bodyguards and a through investigation of the man's family, friends, and acquaintances had concluded that he had operated alone. The witches and wizards throughout England had breathed a sigh of relief. At least they had until the next anniversary of Voldemort's defeat, when Harry Potter was targeted and almost killed by three wizards who had used Polyjuice Potion to masquerade as the Potter children. None of those involved in the attack had been apprehended.

The attack on Harry had turned May 2 from a day of rejoicing into a day of fear and caution. Families started staying home behind locked doors, Ministry officials began covering themselves and their offices with protective charms, the Auror department was put on twenty-four-hour alert, and war heroes were hidden away in protective custody so that no other symbols of the changed world would be lost to an assassin's curse. To the dismay of everyone, these precautions did not stop the killings.

There had been two more successful attacks after the failed attempt on Harry. The first had taken the life of Ron Weasley and the second had resulted in the death of Neville Longbottom. While the assassinations had led to massive investigations, the invention of new defensive and diagnostic spells, and the implementation of new laws that restricted privacy and free speech, the Ministry was no closer to uncovering who was carrying out these attacks than it had been when Shacklebolt was murdered.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione let her eyes scan the graves laid out in front of her. Despite pressure from her family and friends, she had refused to stay in hiding all day with Rose, Hugo, Harry and his family. She had always made a point of visiting Ron's grave every year at noon, the exact time he had been killed. While she knew that it was unwise to risk her own safety, allowing the men who'd killed her husband to also dictate how she mourned him, by keeping her away from the cemetery on the anniversary of his death, was unacceptable. She also worried, in the most hidden part of herself, that not going would be admitting that she was finally getting over the death of the man she had loved since she was fifteen.

Harry had eventually stopped arguing about her foolishness and instead demanded that she be accompanied by three Aurors for protection. She doubted they would be needed. Although in the past, tremendous crowds had walked among the tombs remembering those who'd fallen, for the last two years there had been few others in the graveyard. Today was no different. Hermione appreciated the quiet.

Following the familiar path among the headstones to reach Ron's grave, she passed the resting places of Remus, Tonks, Colin Creevey, and Severus Snape. When she reached Fred's grave, she stopped for moment, pulling a flower out of the arrangement she'd brought for Ron and laid it on top of his headstone. As she bent down to wipe some dirt from the marble, a tremendous explosion shook the area.

Hermione was thrown backward and her body struck one of the headstones behind her. She tried to raise her head, but a heavy weight seemed to be pushing her toward the ground. She called out for help, but couldn't hear herself over the ringing in her ears. She tried to move her arm, but a wave of pain swept through her. "_Accio_ plans," she whispered just before blackness overtook her.

0-0-0

Draco Malfoy was dressing for an event he did not really want to attend. Nevertheless, it would look bad for him to stay home tonight. The entire Ministry had adopted some stupid slogan about hiding or staying indoors on the anniversary of Voldemort's defeat being akin to admitting that the Death Eaters had won. Therefore, as a man who was working hard to make up for the horrible things he'd done as a boy, it was imperative that he be seen at some fancy restaurant toasting the defeat of the Dark Lord. At least he could take some comfort in the fact that there hadn't been any reported assassination attempts today. Maybe whoever had been behind the previous attacks had decided not to push their luck any further. Merlin knew it was only a matter of time before Potter and his team tracked down the killers.

As he straightened his tie, Draco heard a familiar woosh from the fireplace.

"Scorpius?" he said, surprised to see his son stepping from the Floo. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Hogwarts?"

The boy was the spitting image of Draco at that age. Tall, thin, with fair hair, pale skin, and pointy features. Unlike Draco, however, Scorpius did not have the desire or ability to be randomly cruel, so his face was unmarred by scowl lines that had long ago etched themselves into his father's face. Draco often worried that his son was too sensitive. Scorpius seemed to take to heart those instances of discrimination and prejudice at Hogwarts he had faced because of his family name. Although Draco had repeatedly told the boy that he was not responsible for the mess his father and grandfather had created, it hadn't seemed to assuage his conscience.

Instead, it had been Scorpius' school friends who convinced him that anyone who taunted him or ignored him just because of his name were idiots, whose opinions didn't mean a rip. It was a huge irony that those friends were Rose Weasley and Al Potter, the children of the men and women Draco had mocked and harassed while he was at Hogwarts.

"Father, I need to get to St. Mungo's."

Draco quickly crossed the room and grasped his son by his shoulders. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. It's Rose."

"What? Impossible. She's being kept in an undisclosed location and being protected by her Uncle."

"No. Rose is fine, but her Mum was attacked this afternoon while at the cemetery. She's at St. Mungo's right now. Rose is going to need me."

At any other time Draco might have teased his son about having a girl, especially a Weasley girl, so dependent on his company, but all he could think about was Hermione's condition. He grabbed a handful of Floo powder, took Scorpius by the arm, and called out "St. Mungo's" as he stepped into the flames.

By the time Draco and Scorpius had gotten by the legion of Aurors and Ministry personal protecting the ward where Hermione was being treated, night had fallen and news of the attack on Ron Weasley's widow had spread like wildfire throughout wizarding England. Reporters from the _Daily Prophet_ were calling for the imprisonment of everyone who had ever taken the Dark Mark. Other members of the press were urging people to stay calm, yet vigilant, and to contact the Ministry about any suspicious activity they might have witnessed. Even the _Quibbler_ had come out with a special evening addition suggesting that obviously these attacks were being orchestrated from within the Ministry and that former Death Eaters were simply scapegoats for the current Minister's plan to eliminate all former war heroes and thus cement his own political standing.

Draco and Scorpius, however, thought of none of this as they rushed through the vestibule doors seeking information about Hermione's condition.

The entire Weasley and Potter clans were gathered in the waiting room. Molly sat next to Bill rocking Dora, Teddy and Victoire's little girl. Arthur, Harry, Percy, and Teddy were in a corner apparently strategizing about the Ministry's response to the attack. George, Angelina, Charlie, and Ginny were passing out sandwiches and glasses of pumpkin juice. Meanwhile Rose, Hugo, Al, and James sat huddled together on a settee, not speaking, except to answer direct questions.

Scorpius immediately hurried over to Rose, drew her to her feet, and embraced her. As soon as her head touched his shoulder, her body was wracked by heaving sobs. "I can't lose her, Score. I just can't."

Draco's jaw heart clutched at the thought of Hermione not surviving the attack.

Before Draco could corner Charlie or Bill and demand to know exactly what happened, Harry had appeared at his elbow. "Follow me, Malfoy," he stated sharply.

Draco tensed. Potter would be well within his rights to order Draco out of the hospital. After all, he wasn't family. He wasn't even really on friendly terms with any of the Weasleys. He also knew that Harry disapproved of his friendship with Hermione. Harry had warned Hermione repeatedly that Draco was just using her name to rehabilitate his reputation. Although Draco had attempted to be polite to Potter, the few times he'd been forced to converse with him since becoming close to Hermione, it would be a stretch to suggest that they were at ease around each other.

"What's going on, Malfoy?" Harry demanded, his bloodshot eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Scorpius wanted to be here for Rose--"

"I _know_ that! I mean what are these arseholes doing? What are they trying to accomplish? Is there another Voldemort just waiting for the right moment to attempt to regain control of the Ministry and by extension wizarding England?"

It was now Draco's turn to narrow his eyes. "Are you serious? You've been pursuing this case for five years and you still don't know what it's about? It's no wonder you haven't had any success, it's no wonder that year after year, the great 'heroes' from the Second Wizarding War have been picked off. If you'd listened to me five years ago... fuck if you'd listened to me after Longbottom was murdered, Hermione wouldn't be here now."

Harry grabbed Draco by the collar and pushed him up against the wall. "This isn't a joke! It certainly isn't about you getting something over on me... I want to know what you know and I want to know it now!"

Draco pushed Harry off him. There were times when Draco still despised the self-righteous prick. "No, it's not about me putting one over you. Yet, all you do-gooders react to every incident as if you are playing a game of Quidditch where everyone has to follow the same rules and all the players have the same ultimate goal in mind. It's way past time you figured out that these killers do not want what you and the Ministry have. This isn't like fighting Voldemort and the Death Eaters. At least then you knew that they wanted power and to control the wizarding world. Whoever is now behind these attacks does not have the numbers, the strength, or even really the desire to rule take over wizarding England. You are facing men and women who only want to terrorize. They want to scare people, to force them into uncertainty, to have them turn against the Ministry, the government, the heroes! They want chaos... because chaos proves that they were right all along. That when Muggle-borns and half-bloods and blood traitors rule the world, no one is safe."

"They don't want to win?"

"They win everyday that goes by without being caught. They win every time someone talks about the instability of the Ministry since witches and wizards like Hermione or Dean Thomas gained positions of power. They win every time you stop an interrogation before the suspect confesses."

"That's what we need hundreds of false confessions," Harry snapped.

"You need to step up the pressure on former Death Eaters. You need to pull them out of their homes, detain them without any mandatory time for their release, and while they are in custody question their family, friends, and co-workers. You read their mail, monitor their bank accounts, discover what they read, find out how they spend their free time, and learn where the fuck they buy their clothes. But every time you hold back in questioning, every time you refuse to follow up on a lead because you don't have the Wizengamot's support, every time you let one of them go because of a technicality you are helping them win."

Harry shook his head. "You want me to break the law, ignore my vows as an Auror, and disregard rules put in place to protect the innocent and to uphold centuries' old constraints on government power? Hermione would never speak to me again."

"Thanks to your inability to stop these attacks, she may never be able to speak to you again already," Draco snarled.

"Is this the kind of reasoning that you learned at the feet of Voldemort?" Harry sneered.

"Damn straight!" Draco replied, angrily. "And my attitude is exactly the same reasoning being used by whoever is carrying out these attacks. These men and women aren't going to be in awe of your restraint or cowed by how law-abiding you are. You can bet that tonight they are celebrating how you are too weak and scrupulous to stop them. Until you start going after them with all the power and resources at your disposal, you'll never be able to end this."

"I won't ask my Aurors become like the enemy in order to defeat this threat."

"Then you are going to lose."

**4 May 2022**

Draco had been at the hospital for thirty-six hours straight. He should have left 12 hours ago after Hermione had awakened, spoken briefly to Rose and Hugo, and told Harry to send everyone home because she was going to be fine. Yet, he was still at St Mungo's. Although he'd ordered Scorpius to return to Hogwarts with Rose and the rest of the Weasley cousins, he had remained in the waiting room. While he wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, he realized that he wouldn't be able to rest until he had seen her for himself.

He was just stretching out in a lounge chair, hoping to catch a couple of hours of sleep when Potter marched into the room. "Hermione wants to talk to you."

Draco raised an eyebrow in question, but Harry just shook his head and took off the down the hall. Draco rose and hurried after him, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

When Harry opened the door to Hermione's room, Draco strode past him to her bedside. She looked like shite. Both of her eyes had dark circles under them. There was a large bandage over the top of her head. She was pale and her entire right arm was bruised a dark purple colour. "Draco," she whispered, grimacing at him in what he could only imagine was an attempt to smile through the pain.

"Granger. You are the biggest idiot of anyone I have ever met. Why in the world would you insist on going out on the day you KNOW assassins are planning an attack and just hoping for an opportunity to kill you. Merlin, I feel like killing you myself just for putting everyone through the stress of wondering if you were ever going to wake up."

"Malfoy," Harry warned from just inside the door.

"It's okay, Harry," Hermione said weakly. "This is how Draco shows he cares."

Malfoy snorted.

"I didn't ask you in here to listen to a lecture on my lack of self-preservation skills. I wanted to talk about what I think happened during my attack."

"Well, Draco doesn't need to be here for this," Harry stated forcefully.

"I want him here. In fact, I want him to work with the department to round up the killers."

"Impossible!" Harry exclaimed.

"Unthinkable," Draco chimed in.

Hermione ignored Draco's outburst and turned to Harry. "We have to do this. I'll speak directly to the Minister if necessary and so will you. We obviously have been missing something. This has gone on long enough and if bringing in a former Death Eater as a consultant is what it takes to..."

Hermione gasped and bent over in pain.

"Get a Healer in here!" Harry exclaimed.

Draco rushed to the door, but before he could open it, Hermione's voice stopped him cold. "No," she stated through gritted teeth. "I don't want to see a Healer; he'll just put me back to sleep." She took a deep breath, obviously trying to regain control of her body. "I want Draco to work with us. It's imperative that we have his point of view on this. I want the department to hire him as a consultant even if it means putting him under a Wizarding Oath in order to get the Minister to agree."

Neither Harry nor Draco said a word in response.

Hermione glanced back and forth between them. "What's wrong with you two!" she hissed. "You are supposed to be arguing with me and trying to convince me that this is an awful idea. I've prepared a long and detailed explanation of why it is necessary that Draco assist the investigation and I fully expected to have to use it!"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure why you thought I would object. Of course, I'm going to be interested in helping bring to justice whoever was behind the attack on you."

Harry just shrugged. "I discovered a long time ago the futility of arguing with you. If you think it will be beneficial to use Malfoy as a consultant, I'll make sure it gets approved."

"Thank you," Hermione whispered, worn out. She closed her eyes and then opened them again to look at Harry. "Whoever attacked me today was not using Polyjuice Potion."

"How do you know?" Draco demanded; his brow furrowed. It was common knowledge that the successful attacks on Weasley and Longbottom had been carried out by wizards using the transfiguring potion.

"The Ministry developed a spell that detects anyone under affects of Polyjuice who is in the vicinity when it is cast," Harry explained. "It's been a high priority since we lost Ron and was finally approved for use after Neville was murdered. We've kept it quiet, however, in order to try and insure that Law Enforcement officials would have the upper hand over those involved in these assassinations. The fact that the assassins have switched their _modus operandi_ suggests that they know about the spell."

"There is a leak in the Ministry," Hermione murmured.

"Wonderful, just bloody wonderful," Draco growled.

"We are just going to have to narrow the number of people on the case," Harry told them.

"We can't do that," Hermione interjected, although not as forcefully as she would have if she had been well. "Any step back from putting our entire effort into solving this case will lead to derision and condemnation by the public. We are going to have enough panic and fear on our hands over the next few months without it looking like the Ministry is pulling Aurors off the investigation."

"There is no other way to insure security and secrecy but to limit access to only those people we trust."

"Merlin, you are both such heroes," Draco spat. "Did it never cross your minds that you could conduct overlapping investigations? You keep everyone that is currently focused on the case working on it. Fuck, add a few more people, I'm sure the Minister can find a way to pay for broadening the investigation. You then have an elite squad that everyone knows about created from that larger group. Maybe a squad of ten or twelve, some number of people who can be trusted, given special authority and powers, a number large enough to be effective, but small enough to watch closely for any suspicious activity. And finally you have a secret group of three or four, who knows everything and is running its own investigation using the information gathered by the other groups, but also evidence they collect from classified sources."

"What kind of sources?" Harry asked.

"Spies, incarcerated Death Eaters, communications between former Death Eaters."

Harry shook his head. "There is no way a hidden investigation would never get approved. It breaks all Ministry protocol. Even if we managed to arrest someone based on intercepted communications, he or she would never be convicted by the Wizengamot because of how we went about obtaining evidence."

"So don't put them on trial."

"We can't let whoever is behind these attacks just go free," Hermione stated determinedly.

"I think Draco is suggesting a more immediate and permanent ending for those involved in these assassination attempts."

"No!" Hermione gasped, glaring at Draco. "We are going to go about this the right way. We are going to follow the rules. We won't stoop to the kind of disreputable tactics that these assassins have been using!"

"You've been going about it the right way for five years!" Draco countered, angrily. "Where has it got you? You've lost your husband, you've lost one of your best friends, and you were almost killed. If you stick to the same straight and narrow path you've been following since this started, I can guarantee that by next year someone else will be dead. Either you want this to end or you don't."

"Of course I want this to end, but there are reasons that certain rules are in place. They provide protections. Not for the guilty, but for the innocent."

"Those same rules also keep the guilty out of Azkaban."

"Harry?"

"As much as it pains me, I think Malfoy is right. We have to try a different tactic, perhaps cut some corners. I couldn't bear losing anyone else. If you had died..."

"Oh sweet Merlin... we can't do this."

"We can. We must."

0-0-0

Hours later, after Harry had left and the nurse had come in, fed Hermione, and changed her bandages, Draco returned. He'd gone to the Manor for a shower and a meal. While he desperately wanted to sleep, at the same time, he couldn't rest until he'd spoken to Hermione one more time. He needed to be truthful with her and let her know what he was feeling. Even if she ended up rejecting him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he never told her the truth.

When Draco slipped into her hospital room, he was certain Hermione was sleeping. She still looked awful. The large purple marks under her eyes had not faded, her hair was matted and tangled, and the hospital gown she was wearing was bulging out from around her shoulders. In fact, if he arched his head slightly, he could almost make out the curves of her...

"Malfoy are you trying to catch a glimpse of my breasts?" Hermione asked him. She smiled sleepily at his startled expression.

"Actually I am. If I could trouble you to just shift slightly to the right, you'd make my attempt much easier."

She giggled quietly, but winced at the tightness in her chest from the movement.

"Do you want me to get a Healer?" he asked her, concerned.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm going to be fine. I just need to sleep."

Draco nodded.

"Why are you here? I would have thought you'd be home in bed."

"I planned on doing just that, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I saw you one more time."

"Trying to make sure that I'm really hurt and not just looking for sympathy?" she tried to joke.

Draco shook his head. He took a deep breath, hoping to make it through his next words without sounding like a ninny. "No, I needed to let you know that I couldn't bear it if you hadn't made it."

Hermione opened her eyes in shock. "Of course you could..."

"No," he interrupted. "I couldn't. As pathetic as this is going to sound, over these last few years, you've become my best friend. You are the person I want to talk over the day's events with, you are who I like to tease and can stand being teased by in return, you are not just important to me, but essential."

Hermione wet her lips. "Draco..."

"You don't have to say anything in return, Granger. I realize that _you_ have a multitude of people you trust and with whom you are friendly. There are many people whose company you enjoy. I don't expect to hold the same place in your life that you hold in mine. Nevertheless, I also knew, after making it through this horrid event, that I could not let you go on thinking that you were just an acquaintance or annoyance to me. You are much more than that."

Hermione reached her hand out and grasped Draco's. She pulled him toward her bed. "Thank you for that." Squeezing his hand tightly, she continued. "I know that Harry, Ginny, the Weasleys, and my former Gryffindor classmates make it seem like I could never be lonely and that I am never without someone to share things with, but my friendship with you has been different. You challenge me like no one else dares or wants to. You aren't afraid of disagreeing with my opinion or offending me. In fact, I often think you go out of your way to do that. You keep me grounded, Malfoy, in way that no one else can. You were a tremendous comfort to me after Ron died, making me realize it hadn't been my fault, and nothing I could have done would have guaranteed his survival. You are very important to me too."

He smiled at her. He was certain he should say more, reveal more. But before he could work up the courage, her eyes drifted shut and she fell to sleep.

_**Five Years Before**_****

September 2017

Hermione was furious. No, she was more than furious. She was livid, incensed, enraged! How in the world had Draco Malfoy managed to become a Hogwarts' school governor? Oh, she knew the mechanics of how it had occurred. Susan Bones had fallen ill two weeks ago from a bad case of scrofungulus and had been forced to resign her seat. The rest of the board needed to appoint someone to fill in since there hadn't been time to hold a special election. The board chair claimed that she'd selected Malfoy since there were no other former Slytherins in service. Hermione, however, suspected that it had much more to do with Malfoy's donation of new uniforms for the Quidditch teams and his offer to upgrade the equipment in the potions labs than from any real concern about unequal House representation.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and glared across the room at Malfoy as he chatted with Roger Davies. This was just another example of typical wizarding modus operandi. Even today, almost a quarter of a century after Voldemort's defeat, some people continued to attain positions of authority and responsibility, not due to any real qualifications or aptitude, but simply because of their wealth, influence, and blood status. It was enough to drive any sane, _rule-abiding_ witch crazy.

Hermione became even more frustrated when she discovered that the governors took their seats first by seniority and then alphabetically by last name. Despite the fact that she'd earned her spot legitimately through an election, rather than appointment, she still found herself sitting in the very last seat at the table right beside Malfoy.

"I should have that seat!" Hermione hissed at him, as he took the chair on her left.

Draco arched an eyebrow. "In what dictionary does W come before M?"

"My last name is Granger-Weasley," she informed him, shoving her nose in the air in an effort to match his haughty demeanour.

"Two last names?" he sneered. "What is that, some sort of quaint Muggle custom? Still, if you didn't want to be known as Weasley then you never should have stooped to marrying one."

Before she could tell Malfoy where he could shove his pompous attitude, the chair called the meeting to order. Although Hermione wanted to listen to the instructions the board was receiving, she couldn't stop herself from silently dwelling on the completely and utter wrongness of Malfoy having any influence at Hogwarts. One would have thought that attempting to murder your Headmaster was enough to get a person a lifetime ban from serving as a school governor.

Hermione had been at Hogwarts completing her seventh year, when the Malfoys had stood trial before the Wizengamot. There had been a lot of evidence presented in support of their guilt, including the fact that Malfoy Manor had served as Voldemort's headquarters, that Voldemort had used Lucius' wand in an attack on Harry, and that Hermione had been tortured in Malfoy Manor while Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco stood by and watched. Despite these facts, none of them had been sent to prison. Each had been able to point to mitigating factors to get them off. Narcissa pointed to her protection of Harry during the final battle. Draco focused on his age and his refusal to positively identify Ron, Harry, and Hermione before his father. And Lucius' claimed coercion -- that he had served Voldemort solely in order to protect his family.

Although Lucius Malfoy had permanently lost of the use of his wand, Hermione had found the lack of punishment for Draco and Narcissa infuriating. Yet, that had only been the first in a wide range of injustices. Other Death Eaters had also claimed coercion and, more often than not, in cases where there had not been no deaths or Unforgivable Curses cast, prison sentences were commuted and parole was typically given.

Kingsley Shacklebolt had claimed that Azkaban simply could not hold everyone who had supported or aided Voldemort. Moreover, he'd been quoted in the paper as saying that pure-bloods needed to be rehabilitated into society if the wizarding world was ever going to heal.

While Hermione understood these arguments logically, and could even accept that not everyone who had served Voldemort completely shared his beliefs or supported his methods, it was still galling that someone like Malfoy should be accepted and embraced as a rehabilitated, decent bloke. Some people never changed and undoubtedly Draco Malfoy was one of them.

**October 2017**

When Hermione arrived for the October governors' meeting, she found Draco already seated at the table.

"Granger," he smirked, his eyes raking over her robes and hair, like he was looking for something to give her a hard time about.

"My name is no longer Granger," she informed him, wishing she had it in her just to ignore him.

"You just told me last month you didn't want to go by Weasley any longer."

"I never said that!" she gasped. "I said that my last name is Granger-Weasley. I don't see what is so difficult for you to remember about that concept!"

"It's odd. I can't abide odd things, probably why I never could stand your husband and his best mate. Nevertheless, I'm willing to meet you half way on the entire name thing. Therefore, I've decided to refer to you as Granger. Doesn't that make you at least half-way happy?"

"You are such a prick," Hermione hissed as the meeting got called to order.

Draco shook his head. "Better watch it, Granger. We are supposed to be setting a good example for the school children. I'm certain Headmistress Vector and the other governors wouldn't appreciate your foul language soiling the hallways of this fine educational institution."

Hermione wanted to argue back with him, but it was impossible given the silence that had fallen over the room as the minutes from the last meeting were read. She had to settle for quietly seething and planning some way to get Malfoy thrown off the governing body.

Once the meeting adjourned, Roger Davies announced that the headmistress would be conducting tours of the areas of the school which had been recently renovated. Hermione had immediately volunteered to go on the tour and much to her absolute vexation, so had Malfoy.

"Why do you even care?" she asked him under her breath. "Everyone knows your service as a governor is just a cover for trying to win back your family's position in wizarding society. You don't need to go through the extra steps of actually pretending to give a shit about what is happening here."

Draco narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "I care for many of the same reasons you do, Granger. My son is at Hogwarts and I'd like to be assured that the institution serving him is maintaining the same exemplary standard that it did under previous administrations."

Hermione blushed in embarrassment but refused to apologize. It wasn't like she really believed what he'd said.

The tour started in the Great Hall. It looked much the same as it had when Draco and Hermione had attended school. The biggest change was a memorial wall on the south end of the hall, which listed the names of all those who had died fighting Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts. The walls that had fallen, the marble that had crumbled, had long ago been replaced. It looked like nothing had worse than N.E.W.T.s had ever occurred here.

Hermione smiled upon looking into the library and catching sight of her daughter, Rose, sitting at a table, surrounded by books. Hermione's heart swelled at how her little girl seemed to be following in her footsteps. Actually, she looked to be doing better than Hermione had at that age, since she wasn't studying alone. Instead, she was sitting next to a boy in dark blue robes. His pointy face was furrowed in concentration and his white-blond hair was long enough to almost cover his grey eyes.

"Your son is in Ravenclaw?" Hermione gasped, turning towards Malfoy in surprise.

He frowned, looked into the library, and frowned some more. "How did a Weasley not get sorted into Gryffindor?"

"Rose has never mentioned to me that she studies with your son," Hermione murmured.

"Well, Scorpius has certainly neglected to inform me that your daughter is part of his house."

Hermione really did want Rose to do what she thought was best and make friends without thinking about things like blood prejudice, but she wasn't thrilled to see her sweet girl sitting with a Malfoy. If he was anything like his father, he had to be a stuck-up, prejudiced git. Hermione couldn't imagine what her daughter would have in common with someone like that.

Of course, even worse than realizing who Rose's new friend was would be having to inform Ron about what she had seen.

**February 2018**

Hermione showed up for the February governors meeting determined not to change her opinion of Draco's character. Nothing he had done in the several months since they'd been working together on the Hogwarts' governing body negated the awful way he had acted back when they were in school. It definitely didn't erase his actions during the war. At the same time, however, she could admit that he didn't act now like he had been back then. Yes, he was still sarcastic. Yes, he had a wicked sense of humour with which he liked to taunt other people. And yes, he was still much too confident in his opinions. Yet he didn't have the same vicious streak he'd had as a teenager. He wasn't looking to deliberately hurt people any longer. In fact, half the time, she found that he turned his jabs inward making fun of pure-blood attitudes or his own pompous behavior. He'd even made Hermione laugh a time or two against her will as he pointed out some foible of either himself or one of their fellow governors.

Hermione couldn't help but suspect, however, that Draco hadn't really changed. That everything he did and everything he said was simply an act to get back into the wizarding world's good graces. She was never more convinced of her belief than when she read in the _Daily Prophet_ about Malfoy Industries funding of a research program to cure Lycanthropy. This was just the sort of publicity stunt she expected a former Death Eater to pull.

Hermione waited until a break before confronting Draco about his company's research agenda.

"I read about Malfoy's Industries new plan for research."

"Which one? We fund dozens of research programs every year."

"The one that made the front page of the _Prophet_, you twit. The one that has sent the wizarding world reeling. The one that is no more than an attempt by you to gain a little good will from the powers that be!"

"Tell me something, Granger. If my company donates thousands of Galleons to Healers who are looking for a cure to Lycanthropy, if we can make life even a little bit easier for those who have been attacked by werewolves, does it really matter what my motivations are?"

Hermione knew that he was right. Sometimes the outcome was more important than the motivation. Yet at the same time, she hated how he was being feted and honoured for his company's research, when he probably held the same horrible attitudes about those affected with Lycanthropy as had Voldemort.

"Why did you choose _this_ cause to research? Couldn't you have gotten even more publicity if you'd done something about Dragon Pox or Vanishing Sickness?"

"Undoubtedly you are right. I'll make sure to direct my research team to pull all resources out of the Lycanthropy program and put them into Vanishing Sickness."

"Malfoy, be serious!"

"Look, Granger, I chose this program as a favour to my Aunt Andromeda. She is worried that now that Teddy is getting older that he might have inherited some werewolf tendencies from his father. Moreover, I never felt comfortable with the close relationship between pure-blood ideology and the persecution of those who are striving to overcome medical impairments. Hell, I had enough contact with Greyback to realize the difference between someone like him and someone like Lupin."

Everything Malfoy said made sense. All of it was believable, but it still left Hermione uncomfortable. She had no desire to rethink her beliefs about Malfoy, but if she was going to be fair, his actions were forcing her to do just that.

"Sorry to force you to think outside of the box, Granger."

"Bugger off, Malfoy."

**17 May 2018**

Hermione entered the last governors' meeting of the year late. It couldn't be helped. She'd been questioning some possible accomplices in the Shacklebolt murder investigation. Everyone stared as she entered the room, obviously surprised that she'd even come at all. She gave a general nod and then took her seat next to Malfoy.

"Nice of you to bother showing up, Granger," he whispered.

"Shove it, Malfoy. I've been busy."

"Really? Has something interesting happened lately?"

He was such a snide ass that Hermione could only glare at him.

The assassination of Minister Shacklebolt had shaken the wizarding world. Antonin Dolohov, a Death Eater that most people had believed to have died in the Battle of Hogwarts and whose body had simply never been found, had killed the Minister as he was leaving London to attend one of the qualifying games for the Quidditch World Cup. Shacklebolt's bodyguards had killed Dolohov, but the horror of the incident had left everyone nervous and scared that another war was beginning.

The lead investigators of the case, Aurors Dawlish and Robards, had brought in all of Dolohov's family members and former associates, yet no link had been established between them and the killer. The assassination appeared to be the act of a lone man, who'd been seeking revenge for the end of the war and the losses his side had sustained.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, of course, had been suspicious. Why in the world would Dolohov, a man who had escaped prosecution or imprisonment for his crimes, come after the Minster now – twenty years after Voldemort's defeat? In order to try and lay their doubts to rest, Hermione had gotten herself assigned as the lead prosecutor on the case. This meant that should any accomplices be located, she would be in charge of conducting their trials. She had also insisted on being present during the questioning of potential suspects. However, so far, all evidence supported the theory that Dolohov had acted alone.

Still, Hermione couldn't help but suspect that they were missing something. That something was going on that they hadn't yet discovered. Therefore, she'd been putting in extra hours at the office hoping to uncover some clue that would answer all the questions.

"Shut up," she hissed, in no mood to put up with snarky Draco.

"Poor little Ministry worker, all a-flutter, without her fearless leader."

"He was murdered, Malfoy! What about that is amusing or funny? Can't you show the least bit of sympathy for those us who respected and admired the man?!"

Draco narrowed his eyes. "I am sorry Shacklebolt was assassinated. I am not thrilled that the Ministry has been thrown into turmoil. I especially hate how this has brought about renewed suspicion of pure-bloods. However, I'm not going to pretend to be distraught over the death of the man who took my father's wand away."

"Your father should have rotted in Azkaban. You should be thankful that all he lost was his wand."

"That's so easy for you to say. You are Muggle-born. Living without magic is normal for your kind. But to most of us, and definitely to those of us who are pure-bloods, there is nothing normal about life without magic. Shacklebolt might as well have locked him up. He's like a child now, not able to do anything for himself, always having to rely on my mother. It has aged both of them tremendously."

Hermione rolled her eyes; she was not the least bit sympathetic.

"Shacklebolt kept you out of Azkaban, too, you know? You should be gnashing your teeth and rending your garments in your misery over his death."

"That will never happen," Draco sneered.

"I can't believe I thought you had changed," Hermione muttered.

"It's not my fault you are naive."


	2. Chapter 2

**6 May 2022**

Draco was led into an interrogation room in the Department of Law Enforcement by two hulking Aurors who he'd never seen before. They'd shown up at the Manor, bound his arms behind his back, and dragged him away in front of the shocked faces of his mother and father.

He hadn't been told why he was being apprehended. He hadn't been informed of where he was being taken. He hadn't even been allowed to contact his attorney. He had just been told that he was under arrest and that anything he said could be used against him before the Wizengamot.

Harry nodded at the two Aurors, who left the room, closing the door behind them.

"Was this absolutely necessary?" Draco asked snidely.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry responded, motioning toward one of the chairs in the room.

Draco sat and was about to say something cutting when the door reopened and Hermione came inside followed by Max Burke, the head of the Department of Mysteries. Draco contemplated rising from his seat, but with his hands still bound and the possibility of a sticking charm on the chair, he wasn't going to attempt it. Although he didn't mean to, he couldn't refrain from staring at Hermione. She looked thin and weak, like she had left St. Mungo's too soon. He hadn't been able to see her after the night he'd told her how much she meant to him. The guards on her floor had informed him that the wards around her room had been upgraded to prevent anyone with a Dark Mark from approaching within 500 metres of her.

Even the owl he'd sent had come back with his letter to Hermione unopened. When he'd tried to contact Potter to demand an explanation for being cut off from talking to Hermione, he'd been informed that Auror Potter was refusing to speak or accept correspondence from anyone bearing the name Malfoy.

He'd been just hours away from stalking over to the wanker's home and waylaying him when the Aurors had arrived at the Manor.

"Mr. Malfoy," Burke began.

"Wait," Hermione yelped. She then began casting several stealth sensoring, Imperturbable, and protective wards around the room. She glared at Harry, who joined in, casting his own set of shielding spells.

"Alright," Hermione nodded at Burke.

The older man gave Hermione a comforting smile that Draco thought looked too damn condescending given the circumstances.

"Mr. Malfoy, I assume you know why you are here?"

Draco arched one of his eyebrows. "Well, the last time I was brought in to the interrogation room with a binding spell around my arms was because I was being questioned in the assassination attempt on Potter. I can only speculate that I've been brought in this time because my file is being re-examined to see if I had an alibi for time when the Widow Weasley was attacked."

Hermione made some sort of mewling sound, which caused Harry to push her down in a chair and place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"No. You've been called in here because Auror Potter and Director Granger-Weasley believe that you would make an excellent secret consultant for this case. In fact, they have gone to extraordinary measures to insure that your possible cooperation with the Ministry be kept a secret both to protect you and to insure you remain approachable by whichever Death Eater sympathizers have been carrying out these attacks."

Dracro frowned. "I am _persona non grata_ among Death Eater sympathizers. My parents' end of the war activities that saved the life of Potter, my own ineptitude in killing Dumbledore or anyone for that matter, have effectively closed down all relationships I might have with those who still maintain beliefs in the superiority of pure-bloods."

"So you told us four years ago," Harry commented. "But things change. There might be opportunities now that didn't exist before."

"Are you nutters?" Draco scoffed. "My friendship with Granger, my son's allegiances in school, my complete lack of contact with anyone from the 'old days' makes me even less likely than ever before to be approached by anyone involved in these attacks."

"But what if you could give them something they wanted?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Like what?"

"Me."

0-0-0

Draco was exhausted. He'd spent three hours at the Ministry, while Potter, Hermione, and Burke had explained what they wanted him to do. First, he was to meet secretly with Hermione and Potter to review the investigation notes from the last five years. They hoped a fresh set of eyes, a set of eyes trained by Voldemort's followers, might see something they had missed. At the same time, they wanted Draco to contact all his old acquaintances and let it be known that he was willing to trade access to Hermione for his family's safety.

He had argued that everyone would realize it was a setup. That nothing in his life over the last twenty-five years would lead any of Voldemort's former supporters to believe that he would ever be interested in joining their ranks again. That was when Potter had presented him with the only piece of physical evidence collected from the day Hermione was attacked at the cemetery. It was a list of assassination targets. On the day of her attack, before blacking out, Hermione had managed to summon what was apparently the assassins' list of potential targets. Shacklebolt had been listed first, then Potter, Weasley, Longbottom, and Hermione. The next name on the list was Narcissa Malfoy. Reading that had felt like a punch in the gut. It was perhaps the only thing that might have made him consider once again betraying the Ministry. Therefore, it would believable as his 'cover'. He would claim to have found out about the list because of his intimate relationship with Hermione and would then offer to turn her over to the assassins for his mother's protection.

The entire idea disgusted and frightened him. He wanted to refuse and damn the consequences, but Hermione had looked at him so imploringly, from her weary and troubled eyes, that he'd felt torn. _Merlin, it was like she expected him to step into Ron Weasley's hero shoes._ He thought she, at least, knew him better. And although he presented all the logical impediments and reasons why the plan wouldn't work, he had eventually, and probably quicker than they'd expected, agreed to it.

He would owl his former associates, everyone who had ever been connected to the Death Eaters, and let them know that he had the ability to deliver Granger in exchange for his mother's safety. He would also have to inform his parents. While he had every confidence that his mother and father were not involved in the assassination attempts and had no concrete evidence about who might be, at the same time, he wouldn't be surprised if his father suspected which of his former associates might be involved in the murders. It was at least a place to begin.

0-0-0

Dinner that evening at the Manor was dominated by the usual small talk and vapid prattle. Everyone at the table was avoiding the angry Hippogriff in the room – the fact that Draco had been taken into the Ministry for questioning. Narcissa wanted to ask about it, but was afraid to upset Draco. Lucius wanted to discuss it, but didn't want to drag Narcissa into the conversation. Draco in any other circumstance would refuse to mention it, but tonight he couldn't afford to just let it go. He needed to inform his parents about what he was about to do.

"Hermione Granger is out of the hospital," he stated bluntly once his mother had finished explaining how she had spent the day reorganizing the linen closets.

"And yet you were still brought into the Ministry for questioning. It doesn't appear to have done you much good to start up a friendship with the Mudblood," Lucius commented idly twisting his wine glass between his fingers.

Narcissa's eyes narrowed as she frowned at her husband. "I'm surprised she was released so soon. Weren't her injuries extensive?"

"Yes. I was surprised to see her released as well. However, she is apparently such an important part of the investigative team that they can't do without her for long," Draco replied.

"So she was in the room while you were being questioned?"

He nodded.

"What did they ask?" Lucius inquired.

"The same things they always ask. Whether or not I had an alibi, whether or not I've been in contact with any former Death Eaters, whether or not I knew anything about the attack."

"You would think that after five years of investigations they would have apprehended the perpetrators by now," Narcissa stated loftily.

"Well, it is not like they have the most calculating or devious minds. If they had any sense at all they would put a pure-blood, former Slytherin on the case. At least then they might have a chance of discovering who is behind the killings," Lucius commented with a haughty sniff.

"They have," Draco informed them.

"Who?" Narcissa asked.

"Me."

Lucius laughed. "They really are desperate. How can they even contemplate trusting you? I know that Ms. Granger-Weasley has bonded with you because of Scorpius and your service as a Hogwarts governor, but why does Potter believe you are trustworthy?"

"Because of this," Draco replied, passing his parents a piece of parchment.

Both of their faces blanched as they realized they were holding a copy of the assassins' hit list and that the next name on it was Narcissa's.

"You've signed your mother's death warrant by agreeing to work with the Ministry."

"Not necessarily," Draco replied cautiously. If he was too open, too forward with his plans, his father would be suspicious.

"Of course you have!" Lucius exclaimed pounding on the table. "Do you think whoever is behind these attacks are going to back off now they know you are involved in aiding the Ministry?"

"They planned on attacking her before. Nothing I've done led to that. Besides, they won't know about my collaboration. It's being kept confidential from all but the lead investigators on the case. I can't think of anything to get Mother's name off the list except helping the Ministry bring in the killers."

"Unless you can give the assassins something they want more than your mother."

Draco frowned. "What could that possibly be?"

"The rest of the Golden Trio."

"Lucius…" Narcissa looked worriedly at her husband.

"You aren't serious."

Lucius shrugged. "I'm not saying you need to do it. I'm saying that it is one way to insure your mother's safety."

"I'll do anything to keep her safe," Draco replied noncommittally.

"I know you will, son. Whatever it takes."

Draco nodded solemnly. Having planted the first seed of his and Potter's plan.

_**Four Years Before**_**  
October 2018**

Hermione and Ron stood behind their daughter as a list of her infractions were read by Headmistress Vector. The entire encounter would be embarrassing enough, if it were just the three of them with the Headmistress, but no… Draco Malfoy, his wife and his son were in the room as well. It turned out that most of Rose's serious infractions had been committed alongside of Scorpius Malfoy.

"Of course," Vector stated archly, "the most recent incident was the last straw. We found the two of them alone together in the restricted section of the library four hours past curfew."

"What were you doing in the library that late?" Ron demanded of his daughter.

"I was trying to study," Rose huffed, seemingly offended to have her motivations questioned by the Headmistress and her parents.

"Why couldn't you study in your Common Room?" Hermione asked patiently, hoping to defuse Ron's temper.

"Because the books we needed were in the library," Rose replied with a roll of her eyes, as if it should have been obvious to anyone.

"Why didn't you just check out the books?" Draco asked his son.

"We've had our borrowing privileges revoked," Scorpius muttered.

"What?!" Hermione and Draco asked in unison.

Rose and Scorpius nodded both looking like they'd been vindicated.

Hermione glanced at the Headmistress her eyebrows raised.

"It was necessary given their proclivity for borrowing."

"Isn't that what a library is all about?" Astoria Malfoy asked snidely.

"Yes, but within the first four months of school they had checked out all of the books required by second years to finish their end of the term essays _and_ half of the books needed by third years for their revisions. Fifteen percent of the entire library collection had been was sitting on the floor in the Ravenclaw Common Room. It is one thing to be dedicated to studying; it's another to making it impossible for anyone else to do the same."

Hermione shut her eyes tightly and felt Ron's comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I understand that being out after curfew is serious, but certainly it doesn't require you to call us up here. Isn't this something that could be dealt with by detention?" Astoria Malfoy inquired, sounding a bit put out from having been dragged away from whatever she typically did on Wednesday mornings.

"If this was merely the first incident, then you'd be correct, Mrs. Malfoy. However, this is the third time they have been caught in a locked and warded library after hours and they refuse to reveal how they've been sneaking in."

"Rose! I want you to tell the Headmistress right now, how you've been getting inside the library."

"I can't!"

"Yes you can, young lady!" Ron growled.

Rose shook her head and tears began to stream down her face. For the first time that morning she looked scared.

"Scorpius, you will tell Headmistress Vector what she wishes to know."

"That is not possible, father."

"Sweet Salazar Slytherin, it certainly is possible. You will do as I say!"

"We made an Unbreakable Vow not to reveal how we've been getting in," Rose interrupted, looking terrified.

"Impossible," Headmistress Vector stated through narrowed eyes. "That spell is much too complex for second years."

Ron whipped out his wand and began casting detection spells on Rose and Scorpius that were normally reserved for those being questioned by Aurors.

"Is this absolutely necessary, Mr. Weasley?" Astoria broke in, obviously unhappy at having her son being exposed to interrogation tactics by a Magical Law Enforcement official.

"Yes it is! If your son forced my little girl into agreeing to hide something of this magnitude, imagine what else the two of them might be concealing! He's a danger to the entire student body. I think he should be banned from Hogwarts or, at the very least, withdrawn from Ravenclaw and put into Slytherin where he obviously belongs."

"Ron," Hermione stated softly, laying a restraining hand on his arm.

"Daddy!" Rose yelped. "Scorpius didn't force me to do anything. It was a joint decision to protect the both of us from something like this happening!" She looked at Headmistress Vector. "You'll have to expel both of us, we are equally guilty."

"Rose!" Hermione and Ron exclaimed as one.

"This is obviously the Weasley girl's doing. Scorpius is not capable of this level of magic. Who knows what she has picked up growing up in a household with an Auror and a know-it-all, like Granger." Draco drawled, trying to sound intimidating.

"You shut your mouth, Malfoy," Ron shouted, pointing his wand in Draco's direction causing Astoria to give a little squeak.

"Enough!" Vector stated harshly. "No one is getting expelled, however, there will be some serious punishments and restrictions placed over the two of you to ensure that such disruptions never occur again."

Hermione's head began to ache as Headmistress Vector began to list the restrictions and detention schedule that Rose and Scorpius would have to follow for the rest of the year. She walked to one of the large windows and looked out at the grounds, leaving Ron to glare at their daughter. As she stood there gazing at the sun rising behind the lake, she felt someone come up behind her.

"Did your parents ever get called into the Headmaster's Office?" Draco asked her quietly.

Hermione shook her head.

"My father made it a habit to come by throughout my career. He was a governor, you know? He came during second year to harass both Hagrid and Dumbledore about the Chamber of Secrets. He came during third year to visit me in the Infirmary when I was attacked by the Hippogriff..."

Hermione snorted.

"He came during fourth year after Moody's transfiguration trick. I hated it."

"Why? He was hardly here to give you a dressing down or to listen to a list of your sins from the Headmaster. I would have thought you would have enjoyed having him around, standing up for you."

"It was embarrassing. I didn't want it to seem like I had to be taken care of, like I was a child."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You were a child, Malfoy. It probably would have done you some good to remember that."

Now it was Draco's turn to sneer. "Oh, like you, Weasley, and Potter weren't involved in activities better left to adults. Just because your parents had no clue what you were doing and Potter had no parents, and Weasley's parents were worthless..."

"Hey!"

Draco shrugged. "At least we can agree that no matter how many times our children break into the library after hours or how many Unbreakable Vows they take, it is much less frightening than the things we got up to as children."

Hermione nodded. "Yes. I can agree with that."

She turned back and watched as Ron nodded in agreement with whatever the Headmistress was saying. Astoria Malfoy was standing behind Scorpius and had placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Releasing a deep sigh, Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly optimistic. Maybe things were really changing for the better if her and Ron's child could be friends with Draco Malfoy's son.


	3. Chapter 3

**13 May 2022**

Whether the result of Draco's discussion with his parents, the owls he had sent to Voldemort's former supporters, stepped up Auror investigations, or Magical Law Enforcement crack-downs, new leads, for the first time in months, began to trickle into the Ministry. Hermione, despite her lingering injuries, was putting in fourteen hour days at the office. Harry only came home to shower and have breakfast with his family before heading back to work. Draco made himself completely available to anyone and everyone who wanted to meet with him, just in case someone might approach him with a deal to trade his mother's life for Hermione's.

The three secret partners met twice a week in a hotel room across from a Muggle coffee shop Hermione and Draco had frequented for several years. "People are going to assume we are having an affair," Hermione had huffed, when Draco had first suggested it as a meeting place.

He'd smiled at her outrage. "Don't be silly. Everyone knows if I were sleeping with you, I'd be shouting it from pages of the _Daily Prophet_."

She had rolled her eyes, but her cheeks had flushed prettily, making him want to pull her into his arms and give her something _real_ to be embarrassed about. "Besides, Potter will be our chaperone, so your virtue will never be in question, once the truth comes out."

That had made her angry. "This isn't about protecting my virtue! It's about people thinking that I'd hide a romantic relationship. There would be nothing to be ashamed about if I were seeing you. I definitely wouldn't conceal it by setting up a weekly rendezvous at a Muggle hotel!"

Draco had felt a wave of admiration for her at that moment; still he couldn't resist prodding a bit. "Really? So you bring home all your lovers? Even during the summers when Rose and Hugo are home from Hogwarts? How cosy. Or perhaps you prefer shagging at the bloke's flat, of course that means leaving your children home alone - very out of character, Granger."

She had blushed again. "I… that is… this really isn't any of your business."

"Of course it isn't. But you are the one who proudly stated that any relationship you were in would be out in the open, no need for secrecy."

Hermione sighed. "Well, obviously I didn't think through that statement before I made it. The fact is… there hasn't been anyone since Ron. I would like to think that I could be honest with the children, but I can't imagine bringing another man into their father's bed, while they are home for the summer. I certainly would never leave them to fend for themselves while I went out for a shag. I suppose I _might_ make use of a hotel room every now and then, but not because I was embarrassed about my relationship – only because I do not want to suggest to my children that I approve of uncommitted sex."

Draco had barely refrained from laughing as she talked her way around her inhibitions.

As they crossed the street toward the hotel, Draco leaned toward her. "Would you like me to hold your hand to make it look more realistic?" he teased.

Hermione huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "Grow up, Malfoy."

He chuckled as she stomped off in front of him.

When they reached the suite the Ministry had rented, it was to find Potter stacking file boxes against the wall. "There is a file on every former Death Eater and each of their family members. There are other files on the assassination targets. Anyone who could have had a motive and the opportunity to be involved in the killings has been questioned repeatedly."

As Draco flipped through some of the file folders he recalled the day he had been hauled into the Ministry to be interrogated. Potter had just been attacked and he been dragged from his home early one morning. He'd been infuriated at being 'rounded up' despite having lived an exemplary life for the last two decades. He'd even been more outraged when Ron Weasley had gone against the Ministry's own regulations and demanded he questioned while under the influence of Veritaserum.

"None of the men or women you questioned admitted to having been involved in the assassination attempts?"

Hermione shook her head.

"So you just stopped there?"

"Of course not," Harry muttered. "We put magical traces on several of them. We've monitored their Gringotts' accounts. We have intercepted their owls."

Draco eyes grew large in surprise. "Aren't all of those actions are illegal?"

Harry shook his head. "They were illegal. The Minister of Magic has used his executive privileges to pass those emergency procedures we've required to conduct a through investigation."

"Emergency procedures? You've been actively investigating these cases for the last four years. When does it stop being an emergency?"

"When we catch the assassins."

"Why are you acting so outraged?" Hermione huffed. "Isn't this exactly what you recommended the Ministry do after Neville's murder?"

"Public acknowledgement of my brilliance would have nice," Draco replied as he pulled out his file and quickly flipped through it. There was a detailed list of all his Gringott's withdrawals, a random selection of his personal and professional letters that had obviously been transcribed from the originals, and details of the magical trace that had been placed on him. He looked up from the file and glared at Hermione.

"The trace is on everyone who ever took the Dark Mark," she told him guiltily.

"Pathetic," Draco growled, dropping his file on the table in the room.

"Look, Malfoy," Harry broke in, "you haven't been treated any differently than anyone else who took the Dark Mark or supported Voldemort during the war. Anyone with the slightest link to former Death Eaters has been viewed as a suspect."

"So the concepts of reform, rehabilitation, and regret mean nothing to the Ministry?" he sneered in response.

"Hey! You're the one who argued that we weren't being ruthless enough! You're the one who urged us to expand our reach. Don't act so offended upon discovering that we've been doing exactly what you recommended for the last year!" Harry replied angrily.

With a sneer, Draco turned back to the folders. He saw folders for Blaise Zabini, Marcus Flint, the Parkinson Family, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and several more of his old friends and housemates. "Where is Goyle's folder?"

Hermione glanced quickly at Harry before answering. "He's still in Azkaban."

"So?"

"There is no point in putting a magical trace on him or monitoring his Gringott's activity. His mail is already screened by the prison guards. Why should we clutter up our suspect list with Death Eaters who are incarcerated?"

"They have never even been questioned?"

Hermione and Harry exchanged looks again. "No, it's not like anyone in Azkaban could be involved."

Draco shook his head. "Just because they aren't the one's casting the Killing Curse doesn't mean they aren't involved. You need to get someone over there immediately."

Hermione sat down on the couch hard and dropped her head into her hands. She looked so tiny and vulnerable that Draco had to clamp down on an urge to comfort her.

"I'll get someone out there today," Harry stated, squeezing Hermione's shoulder as he walked past her toward the door.

**20 May 2022**

Draco was already in the hotel room, when Harry and Hermione Apparated inside.

Harry carried in a box of notes from the interviews conducted with the Death Eaters still being held in Azkaban. Draco pulled out a folder and began flipping through the pages.

"Who conducted these?"

"A member of my team," Harry replied. "It should say on the initial folder summary."

"Teddy Lupin?"

"He's good," Harry replied defensively.

"He's thorough," Hermione added.

Draco shook his head. "All he did was ask questions?"

"After the suspects were dosed with Veritaserum."

"Well that is something at least," Draco muttered and began reading again.

"Maybe you think he should have been using the Cruciatus on them, as well," Harry mocked

Draco remained silent, but didn't drop his gaze from Harry.

Hermione looked up from the folder she was perusing. "Do you?"

He turned to look at her. _Fucking Gryffindors_. They had been in the same war as he. _Why did they always act so clueless? Why did they fail to understand that there were people out there who simply wouldn't provide information unless they were forced to?_ "I sat at the table with the Dark Lord when he questioned to his followers. The answers some of them gave him differed depending on whether pain was involved or not."

"What exactly are you saying?" Harry demanded.

"I'm saying that these men and women are in Azkaban because they did evil, horrible things, things that they spent years lying about and covering up. If they could look the Dark Lord in the face and lie, then they can probably answer Lupin's questions, even while under Veritaserum, in such a manner that they appeared to be speaking the truth when really they are hiding something."

"Draco..."

"Listen to this," he began to read the file. "Lupin: 'Do you know who was involved in the assassination attempt on Mrs. Weasley?' Avery: 'I didn't realize Mrs. Weasley had been attacked.' Do you see the problem?"

Hermione and Harry looked at each other, finally Harry responded. "There are over half-a-dozen Mrs. Weasleys."

"Exactly!" Draco crowed in triumph. "It doesn't get any better from there. If you want the truth, pain and force are going to have to be involved."

"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "We can just rewrite the questions. We can make them so specific that it would be impossible to get around them."

Draco shook his head. "Even if that worked for some of the Death Eaters, there are probably many who have developed a resistance to Veritaserum. Snape told me once that he often took some before bed just to build up his immunity. I wouldn't be surprised if the Dark Lord had someone working on a vaccination against Veritarserum."

"But one was never developed?" Hermione questioned.

"Not that I know of. However, towards the end of the war, my family was hardly the most trusted of the Dark Lord's followers. If you want to attain real information Potter, something more drastic must be done."

Harry shook his head. "That's not how the Ministry or the Department of Magical Law Enforcement operates. We don't torture people, no matter how bad their crimes."

"Then I guess these assassinations attempts will continue into the foreseeable future. I forget whose name was on the list after my mother's... wasn't it your wife's?"

Harry jerked his head up and Hermione thought for a second that he might draw his wand. "Let's just go through these folders for what information we can obtain. It's too early to discuss more extreme measures now," she stated emphatically.

Several hours later, after they had ordered room service, the three had still only made it through about half of the box. They had separated the files they had examined into four stacks. A pile for those Death Eaters that needed further questioning, one for those that had said something interesting that needed to be investigated, a stack of those who had refused to cooperate, and a pile for those who probably had nothing of value to say. Draco had added no files to this last pile.

"I need to go home," Harry announced, stretching his arms above his head. "Ginny was expecting me an hour ago."

After Harry Apparated out of the room, Hermione smiled at Draco and adjusted her skirt. "Do you need to go, too?" she asked.

He shook his head. "My parents stopped keeping track of my whereabouts over two decades ago. Do you need to go home?"

"No. Until Rose and Hugo return from Hogwarts, I have no one expecting me."

"So do we soldier on and hope that somewhere in this next group of folders is a confession? Or, do we return to our homes and try to put all the disturbing things we've read tonight out of our minds?"

Hermione picked up a new file. "I, for one, plan to soldier on. The clock is ticking and I can't afford for it chime again."

"You are an inspiration to us mere mortals," Draco teased, bending over to also retrieve a new file.

They worked for several more hours before Hermione's eyes started to drift shut. "Go home, Granger. It's obvious you are not fully recovered. These files will still be here when you return."

"I don't need to go home. I'm fine!" she'd huffed, perking up for several minutes before nodding off again.

When she was well and truly asleep, Draco removed the folder from her fingers, shifted her legs so she lay on the couch, and covered her with a blanket. He then moved to the chair Harry had occupied and started reading again.

When Hermione awoke the next morning, her head ached and her back hurt. As she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, she remembered that she was in the Muggle hotel room that was serving as the secret headquarters for the Ministry's investigation into the assassinations of war heroes. She smiled looking across the room at the sight of Draco, lying sprawled in a chair. His shoes had been kicked off, his mouth was slightly open, and his head was thrown back at an awkward angle. For perhaps the first time since she'd known him, she looked at him as simply a man - evaluating his features, his body shape, his face, as if she had just met him for the first time.

She was surprised by how normal he looked. She had always thought of him as slightly intimidating. His height, while not nearly as tall as Ron had been, was enough to force her to be continually looking up at him. His body was lean. While Ron had bulked up because of the physical conditioning required by all Aurors, Draco's frame still maintained the angular look it had had when they were in school. Hermione was slightly jealous that he could probably wear the same robes today as he had worn during his last years at Hogwarts. His hair had started to grey, but it was cut in a style that made him look distinguished as opposed to middle-aged. His face was too angular to be referred to as handsome. However, rather than seeming out of place, it gave him an aristocratic countenance, as if he was much too important to allow the gentleness of a rounded cheek or a saggy chin to hold him back. In fact the only thing soft about his entire body seemed to be his lips, which were full, and light, and looked extremely soft and kissable.

At that thought, Hermione jerked herself into a sitting position. Kissable? Where in the world had that come from? She had no desire, no interest, no plan of ever kissing Draco Malfoy.

_**Three Years Before**_

5 February 2019

Hermione had arrived at the Hogwarts governors' meeting early. She wanted to be available to talk to Draco in case he needed a friendly face. They weren't friends. Not even if you really stretched the definition of friendship. However, they had gotten along better this year as the friendship between their children progressed. It was actually from Rose that Hermione learned that Astoria had left Draco and was filing for divorce. Although she had no idea about what had caused the split or Malfoy's feelings about it, she knew that Scorpius was upset and could imagine that it must also be affecting Draco.

Therefore, when he entered the meeting just minutes before the chair called them to order, Hermione immediately turned a concerned faced towards him. "How are you doing?"

He glared at her. "I'm fine, so stuff it, Granger."

She leaned closer so not to be overheard. "It's okay to be upset, you know? I just want you know that I'm here in case you need to talk."

He looked incredulous. "Well I don't, so sod off."

Hermione patted his hand comfortingly before sitting back as the meeting began. Throughout the session, she couldn't help but shoot sympathetic looks at Draco. He appeared unaffected by the dissolution of his marriage, but at the same time, she could tell he was distracted. As the governors talked about cutting back on the number of required hours for potions and increasing the age requirements for trying out for Quidditch, two of Draco's pet projects; he just allowed discussion to swirl around him without interjecting any comments. Hermione became especially concerned when a proposal to increase the funding for the Care of Magical Creatures was passed without a single objection from Draco.

When a break was called, Hermione followed him out into the hallway, determined to get him to open up.

"Draco, there is nothing to be ashamed about," Hermione began.

"Sweet Salazar Slytherin, Granger, just shut the bloody hell up! I don't want to discuss it!"

Hermione looked around the hall and saw that a number of the other governors were staring at them. "Come with me," she demanded, grabbing a hold of his arm and dragging him towards the cloak room.

Draco looked liked he liked to shake her off, but with so many people watching them, he eventually just went along with her.

As Hermione pulled him into the room, she shut the door, locked it, and cast an Imperturbable Charm. "I realize I am probably not the person you want to talk about this with..."

"I don't want to talk about it with anyone! Why are you pushing me? For all your other faults, you aren't a gossip, so I can't imagine you are just probing me for information. We aren't in competition for anything so you can't be looking to gain an advantage over me. And we aren't friends so this can't be about wanting to comfort me. Just what exactly are your motivations?"

Hermione blinked. It was a valid question, but she hadn't analyzed her motivation. "Well, Scorpius told Rose that he was worried about you. She told me and I just thought..."

"You thought what? That it would be fun to dig into all the dirty details of my failed marriage? That you'd like to probe my wounds... maybe that you could kiss them and make them better?" he sneered.

"You don't have to be so nasty about the whole thing," Hermione complained. "I am not looking to do anything bad to you, nor do I plan on gloating or in any way using this as means of scrutinizing your psyche. But I know that it is sometimes helpful to talk to someone about your concerns or disappointments. If you already have someone you are talking to, someone you can trust, then great – I'll bugger off. But if you don't, I'm willing to listen."

"Why? Why are you willing?" he asked incredulously.

"I guess because our children are friends and because I don't think you are the same annoying, rude prat you were back in school. It's possible I'd be doing the same for _anyone_ and maybe it's just happenstance that it's you."

"Merlin, you really are all goodness and light. How in the world can anyone stand being around you?"

Hermione ignored his words and concentrated on the pain behind them. "Scorpius told Rose there was another man."

"Actually that might have made it easier," he replied with a sigh. "I could have at least 'competed' with another man. Instead, Astoria left because she was 'sick' of it all."

"All?"

"Sick of being a Malfoy, sick of having to live up to my parents' out-dated views of how pure-bloods should act, sick of being sneered at in the streets for crimes my father and I committed decades ago, sick of having a husband who has trouble expressing any emotion beyond sarcasm and disappointment. It's really hard to blame her. I'm hardly the most congenial man in Britain."

"I think you are being a bit tough on yourself. You have done a lot over the last two decades to make up for whatever sins you committed as an adolescent. Your personality also isn't as horrid as you make it out to be. You are smart and clever and interesting. Mind you, coming from me, someone loath to acknowledge anything good about you, that really _is _quite a compliment."

"I'll make sure to order one of my house elves to embroider it on a sampler to hang in my study."

"Draco, you are going to survive this. I'm sure it won't be easy, but you can't just wallow in disappointment. You have a son who is going to be looking to you for guidance. You don't want him to be so weighed down with worry for his father that his own life suffers. You have a business to run, good deeds to accomplish, and pretentious prats to put down. You have three-fourths of your life still before you."

"True, although it looks like I'll have to spend it alone. I can't imagine any other woman ever volunteering to assume the title of Mrs. Draco Malfoy."

"It's too soon to worry about that," Hermione argued. "But think of all the time you'll have to work on your conquering your drinking problem."

"I don't have-" he began to be interrupted by Hermione's smirk.

"I was just joking," she laughed. "You really do need to develop a thicker skin."

He nodded. "Maybe you can drag along your husband and Potter to the next governor's meeting. I'm sure after spending time in their company, I'll have heard all possible jibes and insults."

"I'll just have them Owl you their commentary."

Draco laughed. "Thanks Granger, you are quite a friend."

"Seriously, though. Let's meet for coffee next week. Sometimes it helps to just talk and get things off your chest. Besides, you don't have to worry about whatever you say lowering my opinion of you."

"I don't know, Granger... I'm not the confessional type."

"Do it for Scorpius."

Draco sighed deeply before nodding his head. "I'll owl you next Monday to arrange something."

Hermione reached out and squeezed his arm. She then unlocked the door and heading back into the governors' meeting.

TBC

**Author's Notes: Big thanks to my beta Kazfeist and my cheerleader thebigdisaster. Also to the reviewers who were so kind to leave me a note about what they liked about the story - ., nmmi-nut, Harryfan94, theodora 9, Beauty Eclipsed, and chancewriter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**b27 May 2022/b**

Hermione could not believe that they finally had one of the assassins in custody. She had yearned for this day since Harry had been attacked, prayed for it since Ron's death, and vowed to insure it happened after Neville was killed. But now that the day had arrived, she did not feel relieved. There were still two accomplices that needed to be identified and captured before the case could be closed, making today feel more like another beginning than the end.

Draco's insistence that Death Eaters in Azkaban be questioned using interrogation measures that were harsh and involved the use of pain techniques had been quickly approved by the Minister of Magic. Although Hermione had protested vehemently and even threatened to resign should use of Unforgivable Curses become a standard law enforcement practice, she could not deny that one of their biggest breaks had come through the use of unconventional methods.

It was convicted Death Eater, Ephraim Flint, who – after being subject to over a dozen painful hexes and the repeated use of a charm that made him feel like he was suffocating – had eventually revealed how the conspiracy behind the assassinations operated. A small group of incarcerated Death Eaters had ordered the murders from inside Azkaban. They'd been able to avoid detection because their partners on the outside had not been their contemporaries or even their children, but their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Young wizards who had never made it onto the Ministry's suspect list because they were underage and still enrolled in Hogwarts when the assassinations began.

Those who'd carried out the killings were children born after the war, children who had never known Voldemort, children who had never lived in a world where pure-bloods were treated and viewed as superior to other wizarding families. They had gone to school as equals with Muggleborns and half-bloods.

Yet, at least three of them had been anxious to take up the cause of their ancestors, anxious to reclaim their family's position in society, and anxious to succeed where their predecessors had failed. What had appeared to be visits of compassion by a younger generation to their elders in prison had been in actuality planning sessions for the assassinations.

As soon as the Death Eaters' strategy had been exposed, the Minister of Magic had ordered all pure-bloods between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one with family members in Azkaban taken into custody. Burkes' Unspeakables were responsible for rounding up and questioning those with last names that began with M-Z. While Harry's Aurors would be interrogating Flint's grandson, Ethan, and pure-bloods with last names beginning with A-L. Despite the best efforts of everyone in Magical Law Enforcement, almost twenty-four hours had passed since the mass arrests began, yet no new leads had been confirmed.

Hermione rested her head in her hands and sighed deeply as she read again the transcript of Ethan Flint's interview with Auror Dawlish. Although Flint had admitted to his involvement in the deaths of Ron and Neville, he had refused to reveal the names of his accomplices.

"You are going to have to use harsh interrogation methods on Flint," Draco stated calmly to Harry, dropping his copy of the transcript on the hotel's coffee table.

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise. "He's just a child! Besides, we most likely already have the people he's been working with in custody. We should continue using standard law enforcement procedures to try and get him to talk. We don't have to act hastily."

"Stop being so craven, Granger. Flint is a seventeen-year-old murderer with information that will help prevent future attacks. We need to know immediately the names of his associates, where he got the information about the Ministry's ability to detect those using Polyjuice Potion, and the mechanics of how they attacked you if we are to ensure that no one else is killed."

"It is still possible that we can get those answers without torturing him! Studies show that harsh and physically abusive interrogations are no more effective than–"

"Studies?" Draco interrupted. "What studies?"

"Muggle studies on the torture of… of terrorist suspects," Hermione said haltingly.

"Spare me your Muggle nonsense," Draco sneered. "We know from the interrogation of Ephraim Flint that this approach works. We need to act now. Every hour we waste endangers who knows how many lives."

Hermione shook her head. "We don't have to do this yet. We can give the Aurors more time to do their jobs." When Draco didn't respond, she turned to her best friend. "Harry?"

Harry looked sadly at Hermione. "Ethan Flint is the only lead we have right now. If we can just get a couple more names from him, it could finally bring this nightmare to an end."

"You more than anyone, should want this, Granger," Draco told her in a quiet voice.

"Well I don't! It's a slippery slope. If you start using harsh interview tactics today just to secure information that it might be possible to obtain without such extreme measures, what will happen tomorrow? Does the use of pain become a standard interview procedure? Should we torture Flint's family and friends since they too might know something?"

"Yes!" Draco hissed. "The pain and suffering of a few, especially the guilty, is a small price to pay for saving the innocent."

"Well, as the only one in this room who has withstood the Cruciatus Curses, let me tell you that whatever information is obtained from using that form of interrogation can not be trusted. If I could lie to Bellatrix under it, Flint can lie to us."

"It only means it wasn't used long enough," Draco stated roughly, although he seemed to be flushing with guilt. "The Carrows used it at Hogwarts in my seventh year and eventually everyone reached a breaking point."

"If by breaking point, you mean they reached a time where they would say ianything/i to stop the pain, then I agree that eventually happens. Under enough pain a suspect will say whatever they think the interrogator wants to hear. Truth, lies, half-truths... whatever it takes to make the pain stop. That kind of information will not make our job easier."

"True, but it gives us a starting point," Harry pointed out. "Hermione, I understand your concerns and I agree this isn't the best way to solve the case, but we can't just ignore that Ethan Flint knows more than he has told us so far. I'm going to ask the Minister for permission to use harsh interrogation tactics on Flint at his next interview."

The next afternoon as Hermione sat at her desk reviewing the files of those suspects being held by both the Aurors and the Unspeakables, Harry walked into the office and dropped into a chair across from her. "I've got the Minister's permission to use enhanced interrogation methods on Flint. We'll begin questioning him early tomorrow morning."

"So that leaves me about twenty hours to find something in the files to make you reconsider?" Hermione asked, tiredly.

"Hermione…" Harry began, but broke off when Hermione frowned at him.

"I really don't want to rehash our argument from yesterday. I still don't agree with your justification for doing this," she told him.

"Max Burke has requested permission to use enhanced interrogation techniques on a suspect, too."

"What? How could he? He doesn't know whether any of the people he is holding are even involved the assassinations! This is such a travesty of justice," Hermione protested.

"Apparently he found a pure-blood at Hogwarts in possession of one of Malfoy's letters offering to trade access to you for his mother's safety. Burke is convinced it means the boy is involved in the attacks."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Great. Now the Unspeakables are jumping to conclusions, too."

"It's going to be okay, Hermione."

"I don't think so Harry," she replied, dropping her head in her hands. "I don't think things are ever going to be okay again."

That evening Hermione Floo'd home to change and grab a bite to eat. As she settled down at the kitchen table, a red-eyed and gasping Rose stumped out of the fireplace.

"Darling?"

"Oh, Mum!" Rose cried throwing her arms around Hermione's neck and sobbing into her hair.

Hermione was momentarily speechless, struck with terror at what had Rose so upset. "Is it Hugo?" she managed to ask, her voice thick with emotion.

Rose shook her head. "It's Scorpius. They took Scorpius."

"Who did?" When Rose only sobbed louder, Hermione pushed her away slightly, holding her by the arms. "Rose who took Scorpius?"

"Unspeakables! They came for him while we were in the library. They refused to answer any of my questions. They just dragged Scorpius out of his seat and said he was wanted by the Ministry. I demanded to know their names and whether or not Headmistress Vector knew what was going on, but they ignored me."

Hermione's head was spinning. Surely, Burke didn't think that Scorpius was involved in the assassinations! It was preposterous. Perhaps he was only wanted as a witness or to corroborate some testimony. Hermione took a deep breath and focused on her daughter. "How did you get here?"

"I snuck out of the castle and used the Floo in Hagrid's hut."

Hermione shook her head. She could hardly scold her daughter for engaging in some of the same actions she herself had taken as a student. "I'll go to the Ministry and find out what's been going on. You go back--"

"No!" Rose screeched.

"Darling, there is nothing you can do here. I can't take you with me and I'm not leaving you here by yourself. Go back to Hogwarts and I'll send an owl as soon as I have any information."

After five more minutes of protesting Rose finally caved in and returned to school. Hermione contemplated whether or not to inform Draco about Scorpius' removal from Hogwarts. He might already know and she had nothing concrete to tell him, but at the same time, if it had been Hugo or Rose who'd been taken, she'd want to know immediately. Therefore, she quickly sent him a note by owl before she returned to her office.

_**cbiThree Years Before/c/i**_

**9 May 2019/b**

Hermione was exhausted. Between dropping by at the hospital 2 or 3 times a day to check on Harry's progress and putting in 12-14 hour days at the office, she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in over a week. Adding to her stress was the Healer's inability to state with certainty whether Harry had sustained any type of lasting damage.

The attack had been embarrassing similar to the one that had killed Kingsley Shacklebolt the year before. However, because the Ministry had determined Shacklebolt's murder to be a unique incident, no special safety precautions had been put in place to prevent a similar occurrence. Not only had the attackers been able to fire off damaging hexes, but they'd also made a clean get away thanks to be being under the effect of Polyjuice Potion.

Needless to say, the Ministry had been thrown into pandemonium. The Minister of Magic had summoned Ron and Hermione from the hospital to his office and put them in charge of bringing the attackers to justice. With no trustworthy leads and no physical evidence, it appeared a thankless assignment.

Hermione started with going through the files of the interviews that had been conducted the prior year with the friends and family members of Dolohov, trying to determine if any clues had been missed. Had there been a hint of a conspiracy, a hint of someone else's involvement that they hadn't noticed? She flagged the files of individuals to be brought back in for further questioning.

Meanwhile, Ron and his team were busy trying to track down anyone who might have known where Harry would be on the anniversary of Voldemort's defeat. It wasn't usual for him to be in the field. He'd been filling in last minute for a sick Auror, so the list of people who had access to his itinerary had been fairly small. This had allowed the Ministry to conduct extensive background checks and interviews with all possible suspects.

When neither Ron's nor Hermione's initial investigations led to any concrete leads, they decided to bring in for questioning everyone with the Dark Mark who wasn't currently in Azkaban. iThat/i list had been extensive. Unfortunately, most of the former Death Eaters refused to cooperate. There was no law that compelled them to answer the Ministry's questions and very few were willing to voluntarily comply with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Most had been put on trial twenty-six years ago; some had served time in Azkaban or had had family members who'd been punished for their wartime actions. Several felt they'd been treated unfairly or abused by the Ministry in the past and now had no desire to assist a government investigation.

One of the exceptions to the general unwillingness to cooperate had been Draco Malfoy. He'd been called in along with his father and mother to answer questions about their whereabouts on the day that Harry was attacked. While Lucius and Narcissa had refused to talk unless they were placed under arrest, Draco had told the investigators everything they wanted to know about his activities on the day in question and had also given them information about what his parents had been doing.

His cooperation, however, had not cleared him of suspicion. In fact, the Aurors who had conducted his interview were concerned by his willingness to talk to the authorities. iWhy was he being helpful, when no one else was? Had he covered his tracks so well that he could confidently report his movements, clear himself, and stay free until the next attack?/i

When Ron and Hermione met with the Minister of Magic to discuss their latest finding, Ron mentioned Malfoy's case. "I want permission to re-examine him while he's under the influence of Veritaserum."

"Why?" Hermione had broken in, stunned by her husband's request.

"Because I want to make sure that what he has been telling us is the truth."

"He's one of the only former Death Eaters to even talk to you and now you want to place him under the influence of Veritaserum?"

Ron glared at her. "That's right. He's talking. I can't very well dose someone who isn't cooperating or speaking to us, can I?"

Hermione turned to the Minister. "This is a violation of his rights. It is illegal to use Veritaserum on someone without probable cause."

"I do have probable cause," Ron argued. "He is talking to us. Hardly anyone else is – not his parents, not his old friends from Hogwarts, and not any other former Death Eaters that managed to avoid incarceration. That in itself makes his behavior suspicious."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "He has changed, Ron. He dislikes what has happened as much as the rest of us."

"Maybe," Ron acknowledged. "If he is innocent, this will prove it."

"I agree with Ron," the Minister replied. "We can't afford to be restricted by our usual rules. This isn't a regular case. We are trying to break a conspiracy focused on bringing down the Ministry by attacking some of its most publicly visible figures. You have my permission to interrogate Malfoy under Veritaserum, Weasley. However, I want Hermione there during the interview. We want to make sure that anything that might emerge from this interview will be usable before the Wizengamot."

"Yes, sir." Ron said as he rose from his seat.

Hermione followed him from the room. "I don't believe you!" she growled as soon as the door closed.

Ron grabbed her by the arm and pulled her down the hall into an empty conference room. He cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door. "I don't believe you!" he shouted back. "Do you even want to find out who tried to kill Harry? Or is your friendship with Malfoy more important now?"

"Did you just accuse me of not wanting to find the person who attacked Harry?" Hermione replied angrily, poking Ron in the chest with her index finger. "Because I'm pretty sure that I'd be horribly offended and royally pissed off if you did."

"Look, I know you've developed a friendship with Malfoy since his divorce. And I find it admirable, if a bit strange, that you've been able to look beyond his past actions, however, it is imperative that we find some bloody clue to who was behind the attack on Harry. If this is a conspiracy, if there are Death Eaters out there who planned and perpetrated this attack and the attack on Shacklebolt, we need to stop them now. If we don't everyone we know and love is at risk."

"I understand that! But what you are planning to do to Draco is just grasping at straws."

"It's the only option we have right now, Hermione. You know that. Besides if you are right about him, this will clear him. It will prove that he was not involved and had no knowledge about the attack."

"Damn it, Ron. That is exactly what makes this so wrong. It isn't his job to prove he is innocent. It is our jobs to find out who is guilty. If we start down this path where is it going to stop? Are you going to get the Minister's approval to administer Veritaserum to all former Death Eaters?"

"If that is what it takes, then yes, that is what I am going to do."

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There had to be another way, there had to be some solution that didn't violate people's right against self-incrimination. If only she had more time.

0-0-0

Hermione followed Ron into the interview room. Draco sat there, staring at a blank white wall. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Hermione entering the room behind Ron.

"We have a few more questions to ask you," Ron informed him, setting down a vial.

"We?"

"Hermione wanted to be here for this part of the interview."

Draco frowned and looked between Ron and Hermione. "Why?"

"If you say something helpful, I want to be here to record it. It will make any future prosecutions easier," Hermione stated truthfully, trying to keep her face neutral.

"Do I need to worry about prosecution?" Draco asked.

Ron replied before Hermione could. "This isn't about you. We are looking for patterns that you might not realize are important, but which might provide us with new leads."

Hermione marvelled at what a good liar Ron had become. She knew that leading suspects astray was one of the skills necessary to be a good Auror, but she often forgot how skilled Ron was at his job.

Draco glanced Hermione's way again. "Alright. Fine. Ask your questions."

Ron pushed the vial towards Draco. "Drink this," he demanded.

Draco sniffed. "What is it?"

"It's Veritaserum," Hermione replied, watching him.

His eyes narrowed and he glared at both Ron and Hermione. "You don't think I've been telling the truth?"

"This isn't about trust," Ron told him. "It's about us getting the confirmation we need that your responses are accurate."

"That's the definition of not trusting someone!"

"You must admit, Malfoy, your actions over the last year have been suspicious," Ron informed him calmly.

Hermione smoothed the parchment lying before her, she could not meet Draco's eyes.

"Suspicious?"

"Pursuing a friendship with Hermione, being one of the first pure-blood wizards in a quarter of a century to get a get a divorce, and cooperating with the Auror office voluntarily when all other former Death Eaters have been keeping their mouths shut. It is enough to raise numerous doubts about your motivation."

"First of all, Weasley, I did not pursue a friendship with your wife. I'm sure if you bothered to talk to her about anything besides your moronic interests, you'd know that she arranged our first meetings. Moreover, being a pure-blood doesn't provide immunity from a failed marriage. If I was more willing than others of my class and station to refused to maintain what had become a sham of a relationship that should demonstrate my ability to think for myself and not be bound by idiotic traditions and precedent. It's that same ability to think for myself, moreover, that explains my willingness to cooperate with the Ministry."

"Nice speech, Malfoy, but it doesn't change the fact that you are going to drink that vial Veritaserum before the questioning begins."

Draco turned his attention to Hermione. She looked up from the table; her face was emotionless, although her lips were stretched into a thin line. "You need to drink it, Draco," she told him.

One of his hands reached for the vial, while the other clutched the edge of the table. "What happens if I refuse?"

"Then I'll call in my team, who will hold you down, while I administer the potion by force," Ron said.

Hermione watched Draco's face flush. She could tell he was highly offended and embarrassed by what was occurring. She knew that the old Malfoy would have told them both to bugger off; of course the old Malfoy wouldn't have been in this position to begin with, because he would have never voluntarily provided evidence to the Ministry.

"Draco, you remember what it was like when the Death Eaters were in power. It is important to uncover this plot immediately. You might be the lynch pin to this entire case," Hermione said softly.

"You realize that this is exactly why the rest of them won't answer your questions."

"What do you mean, Malfoy?" Ron asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"They know that it is pointless to cooperate because no matter what they do or how they've change you'll never trust them. You'll always see them as Death Eaters."

Hermione blushed and wanted to deny his words, but how could she when they were true? She watched Draco raise the vial and drink from it.

"Let's start from the beginning," Ron said as he opened Malfoy's file.

**Author's Notes: Big thanks to my beta Kazfeist and my cheerleader thebigdisaster. Also to the reviewers who were so kind to leave me a note about what they liked about the story - lilmzhln18,RandomObsessivePsychoFangirl, nmmi-nut, ., Miss Troll Queen, and Avanell.**


	5. Chapter 5

**28 May 2022**

Hermione had been in the office for hours by the time Draco made his way to her department at that evening.

"Where is he?" he demanded.

"Draco, I'm sorry…"

"I don't give a damn what you are. I want to know where my son is!"

"We don't know," she told him gently. He looked a mess. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen him look so awful before, even when he'd been questioned by the Ministry in the past he'd had an air of invincibility. None of that former attitude was apparent now. "Harry and I have been trying to track down what happened since I got here. We are no nearer an answer now than we were four hours ago."

"Impossible. Burke must know what is going on. It was Unspeakables who came and picked Scorpius up!"

Hermione took a deep breath. "We haven't been able to get in contact with Burke."

"Why not?"

"He's been conducting his interviews in an undisclosed location away from the Ministry."

"Is that normal?" Draco asked, frowning.

"This is one of the procedures we put in place after we realized there was a leak in the Ministry."

When he didn't immediately reply, Hermione broached the subject she'd been concerned about since talking to Rose. "Draco, do you know whether or not Scorpius had in his possession one of the letters you sent to pure-bloods about trading me for your mother's safety?"

"What? I don't know... I don't think so." He sat down heavily in a chair across from her. "What's going on, Hermione?"

"Harry is at Hogwarts now trying to figure out exactly what happened. All that I know is that Burke asked the Minister for permission to use harsh interrogation techniques on a Hogwarts' student in possession of one of your letters. That may or may not have been Scorpius."

"Where the fuck? He's only sixteen. How could the Minister have approved this?"

"It may not be Scorpius. It's entirely possible the Minister wasn't even informed of the identity of the person Burke wanted to interrogate."

Draco sprung to his feet. "I need to talk to the Minister now!"

"Look, nothing is going to happen tonight. The enhanced interrogations aren't scheduled to begin until tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll have Scorpius back before then."

Hermione expected Draco to continue shouting. Instead, he appeared to be shutting down, closing himself off from her and from his emotions. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him that it was going to be all right, that they would find Scorpius and he would be safe. However, she never been a very good liar. "You should go home, Draco. Go wait at the Manor with your parents. I'll be in touch just as soon as I've any news."

"I'm not going to just sit on my hands, Granger."

"No of course not," she replied with a shake of her head. "Maybe, I can –"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off the entry of Percy Weasley, the personal assistant to the Minister of Magic, into her office. "Malfoy, what in hell are you doing here? If anyone realizes you are a secret consultant for the Ministry, all our efforts at discovering the assassins will be for naught."

"You know damn well what I'm doing here, Weasley. I'm looking for my son!"

Percy furrowed his brow. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I think it is time you started thinking more about what's good for the wizarding world than what is good for Draco Malfoy."

Draco stood and took a menacing step towards Percy. Hermione quickly cast a shield spell to prevent any physical or magical attack. "Two Unspeakables took Scorpius Malfoy into custody this evening. We haven't been able to track down Burke to find out what is going on," she explained.

Percy looked stunned. "Impossible! The Minister never would have approved something like that without discussing it with me!"

"Well, maybe you should get your boss on the Floo and find out what the fuck is going on!" Draco growled.

Percy looked at Hermione, who nodded at him encouragingly. "Fine, I'll track him down. But get Malfoy out of here. This entire investigation has become more volatile than a game of Exploding Snap. We can't afford to undermine all the progress we've made over the last month."

"The only thing that might derail the case now is if we make a mistake and taint the testimony of our suspects. Convince the Minister to revoke his permission for harsh interrogations at least until this entire situation with Scorpius is cleared up," Hermione argued. "Think about how you would feel if it was Lucy or Molly in this situation."

"But we both know it would never be Lucy or Molly, don't we?" Percy replied quietly.

"Please, Weasley," Draco pleaded.

Percy pushed his shoulders back and straightened his robes. "I'll do my best, but you need to find me something concrete to convince the Minister that we have other options."

Hermione watched Draco nod his head slowly. She suspected he wanted to tell Percy to 'sod off', but he was holding himself in check until Scorpius was safe.

"We'll go back to the hotel and comb through the files again. Maybe we missed something," Hermione told her former brother-in-law.

"You have until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning," Percy replied. "That is when the interrogations are scheduled to begin." Before stalking out of the room, he turned toward Draco. "Malfoy I'm going to have two Aurors escort you out of the building, just to maintain appearances."

Hermione gave Draco a sympathetic smile.

"I'll see you at the hotel?" he asked, looking far older than his years.

"I'll Floo there immediately," she replied.

**29 May 2022**

It was after 3 a.m. when Hermione put down her last folder. "This one is worthless."

Draco looked up, his eyes were shuttered. "I'm not going to get him back, am I?"

Hermione's eyes grew wide and left the chair she was sitting in to move beside him. "Yes, you will! Don't even think like that. I have all the confidence in the world that something will turn up. No one benefits from hurting Scorpius."

Draco dropped his head and Hermione shakily put her arms around him. She so wanted to comfort him, to take away some of his pain. She began to rub his back. "Everything will be okay. I know it will."

Draco turned toward her, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck.

She felt him breathing deeply, and although she tried to concentrate on his pain, at the same time she couldn't help but enjoy the feel of his arms around her. It had been so long since she'd been this close to a man, so long since she'd been wrapped in anyone's arms.

"Hermione," he said quietly, lifting his head and looking into his eyes.

She swallowed. Her mouth suddenly dry, her mind curiously blank. She thought for a moment that he might lean in and kiss her. Before she could respond, however, the fire flared and she and Malfoy broke apart as Harry stepped into the room.

Draco was on his feet in seconds. "What news do you have?"

Harry shook his head. "Not much. I do know, however, that Scorpius was not the only pure-blood Burke's Unspeakables took into custody. They also took Francesco Zabini, Nadine Wilkes, and Burke's son, Liam."

"Burke's son? That doesn't make any sense," Hermione exclaimed. "He couldn't be involved, could he?"

"I don't know," Harry replied, wearily. "Maybe it was to protect him or maybe Burke thought the boy knew something. None of it makes sense. Burke hasn't checked in with the Ministry since he got permission for the enhanced interrogation yesterday."

"Fuck!" Draco exclaimed. "What chance is there that Burke has gone off on his own and is going be operating without the Minister's approval?"

"Two weeks ago I would have said there was no chance in hell that Max Burke would ever fail to follow Ministry protocol or operate outside of the chain of command. But we took Ethan Flint into custody he's been more secretive and less inclined to share information than in the past."

"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked Harry.

"I've got several teams of Aurors tracking him and the other Unspeakables now. We should have a better idea of his location by morning. If he checks in with the Minister we'll be able to immediately Apparate to him." Harry handed Hermione a file. "I need you to go through his personal file and find out whatever you can about Liam. Maybe there is something there that can give us some indication of what is going on."

"What about Flint's interrogation tomorrow?"

"It is still on until I hear differently from the Minister."

Hermione shook her head. "This is crazy, Harry. How is torturing Flint tomorrow going to help us track down Scorpius? We need to slow down, take a step back, and review the situation."

"Hermione," Draco broke in, his voice raw with emotion. "Forcing Flint to reveal his accomplices could demonstrate to Burke that Scorpius is not involved with the assassinations."

"But, Draco, it is this nonchalant attitude toward enhanced interrogations that has put Scorpius in danger in the first place."

Draco shook his head. "It's having me as a parent that put Scorpius in danger."

"I have to go," Harry stated wearily, running his hand through his hair. "Find something, Hermione, and maybe we'll have another option, but otherwise we are going to go forward with the Flint's interview tomorrow."

"This is wrong," she whispered.

"There is no other choice."

_**Two Years Before**_****

May 2020

Draco stood at his mirror and adjusted his tie. He did not want to attend the service tonight. It would be awkward for everyone. He'd had only minor contact with Hermione since she'd cooperated in questioning him under Veritaserum last year. He'd quit attending their coffee meetings, refused to acknowledge her at Hogwarts' governors gatherings, and ignored all the owls and notes she'd sent to him over the last year. He'd been deeply offended and hurt by her suspicion and refused to throw his pride out the window and accept her mock friendship again.

However, this wasn't a typical circumstance. Hermione was undoubtedly in shock and in pain. No matter how angry he still was about last year, he couldn't forget that she'd helped him through his divorce, listening confidentially to his rants, and helping him learn to handle being a single father. Even if they were no longer friends, he owed her something and hopefully showing up tonight would be the first step in paying her back.

Nevertheless, it would be uncomfortable. The moment he stepped into the room, the whispering would undoubtedly start. He would definitely be searched and have his wand taken by Aurors before he was allowed to enter. Everyone would be on their guard, wondering what he was doing there, worried that there would be a scene. In most instances, he would have enjoyed the attention. Normally, he liked having entire rooms looking at him and wondering what he was up to, but today he dreaded it.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Scorpius stuck him head inside. "Are you ready, Father?"

Draco nodded and let his eyes scan his son's outfit, making sure that everything looked appropriate. He cast a polishing charm on the boy's shoes, but made no comment. "You realize that things will be tense?"

Scorpius nodded. "I have to go. Rose is my best friend and I want to be there for her."

Draco laid a hand on his son's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Let's be off then."

Draco and Scorpius were stopped at the doors of the mortuary by two Aurors. Their wands were confiscated and they were subject to a barrage of diagnostic spells and questions. It looked like they still might be refused entry, until Charlie Weasley and James Potter walked into the lobby.

"Rose has been asking for you," James told Scorpius.

Scorpius looked pained. "I'm not sure..."

"Let them in," Charlie told the Aurors.

"Sir, we aren't sure that everything is on the up and up," the two men replied looking embarrassed.

"If you need me to get Harry, I will," Charlie informed them with a frown.

"That isn't necessary, Mr. Weasley," the tallest Auror replied, stepping aside to allow the Malfoys to enter.

Draco watched from the rear of the room as Scorpius followed James to the front row. Rose sat between her brother and her cousin, Albus. Upon catching sight of Scorpius, however, whatever control she'd been keeping over her emotions broke. She hugged him tightly, sobbing against his chest. Draco watched as his son stroked Rose's back and whispered in her ear.

"I think Hermione would like to talk to you," Charlie informed him, breaking through Draco's preoccupation.

Draco shook his head. "I doubt it. I've been a complete arse to her ever since the incident involving Potter last year."

Charlie arched an eyebrow at him. "Do you really blame them for trying to find out whatever they could, using whatever means were necessary?"

Draco shook his head. He did not want to get into a debate over what was the proper line between friendship and loyalty to one's job, especially not with a man whose brother had just been murdered.

"Hermione's been holding it together pretty well, but it can't last. The more people she has willing to support her, the better her chance of surviving this intact."

Draco looked toward the front of the room again. Scorpius was now sitting next to Rose in the second row holding her hand. In front of them Hermione stood between Harry and Hugo, shaking hands and listening to words of comfort from everyone who'd come to the funeral. Draco couldn't see her face, but he could tell from her stance that she probably wouldn't last much longer. Her normally rigidly erect posture was slightly hunched over and she seemed to be leaning heavily against Potter's side.

"I'll go talk to her as soon as the crowd clears," Draco told Charlie. "I don't want to cause a scene in case she doesn't want me here."

Charlie nodded and made his way back toward the front of the room clasping a hand on his father's shoulder and hugging his sister-in-law with his free arm.

Draco's stay in the back earned glares and stares from almost everyone who walked by. He kept his attention focused on what was happening up front. He watched Molly Weasley being supported between Ginny and George. He watched Hugo, who from the back, could easily be mistaken for his father, glancing worriedly between his mother and his sister. And he watched Hermione, who with every minute that passed seemed to sink further and further into herself.

Draco could not stand to watch her break down. It reminded him too much of what had happened in Malfoy Manor long ago, when his Aunt Bellatrix had tortured her with the Cruciatus Curse. He hadn't been strong or brave enough then to intervene. Determined not to make the same mistake again, Draco made his way up the aisle toward the grieving widow.

If she was surprised to him, it didn't show beyond her grief and numbness. She held a hand out to him. "Thank you for coming," she murmured. It was the same greeting she'd been giving for the last hour to friends, acquaintances, and strangers.

Draco squeezed her hand tightly and refused to release it until he'd broken through her fog. She blinked at him and her eyes began to fill with tears. He pulled her towards him, never easing the pressure on her fingers. "Hold it together, Granger. It's embarrassing to see you like this. You know I've always found Gryffindors to be unbelievably foolish and impetuous, but at least I could respect your courage. When I see you like this, however, I begin to wonder if there were _any_ redeeming qualities in that House." He then said under his breath, "You have maybe thirty more minutes of this shite to get through, then you can go home and blubber."

Draco heard Hugo gasp at his words and he saw Potter stiffen, but he got the reaction he was looking for from Hermione. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and painfully squeezed his hand. "You're an arse, Draco Malfoy," she murmured angrily. However, she no longer looked like she was about to collapse. He hoped that by prodding her, he'd given her the strength to get through the rest of the evening with her dignity intact.

He moved away from the front row and informed Scorpius that they would be leaving in fifteen minutes. As he sat down in the back of the room, he started to feel ashamed of his reaction to his interrogation last year. He had wanted to help the Ministry from the beginning, but his pride had ultimately gotten in the way of that goal. He could blame nothing but his own checkered past for that fact that it took a vial of Veritaserum before the authorities would believe he was telling the truth.

Draco allowed his mind to drift over the turning points in his life. So many of them had been governed by selfish desires and a need to prove himself. This time, however, would be different. He was determined to do whatever was necessary to help Hermione deal with this tragedy. Whether she needed a shoulder to cry on, someone to scream at, or even a mark for target practice, he was going to be there for her. It was the least he could do, to not only pay her back for her friendship after Astoria left him, but also to repay his debt to the wizarding world.

**Author's Notes: Big thanks to my beta Kazfeist and my cheerleader thebigdisaster. Also to the reviewers who were so kind to leave me a note about what they liked about the story – cullen18, nmmi-nut, Chocolateveela, and Sarcalogos.**


	6. Chapter 6

**29 May 2022**

After spending two hours pouring over Burke's personal file, Draco and Hermione had found two possibly suspicious details. First was the fact that he was the son of Caractacus Burke, one of the proprietors of _Borgin and Burkes_. Of course, it made sense that someone with lots of experience with rare magical items would be a natural in the Department of Mysteries. The second suspicious fact was that there was not a listing in his employment record of his wife's name. Although his son, Liam, was listed as being a seventh year at Hogwarts, no mention was made of the boy's mother. Draco and Hermione had decided to explore these points further once they arrived at the Ministry in the morning. Exhausted and ill with worry, the two of them had fallen asleep next to each on the bed in the hotel room.

It was close to seven in the morning when Harry returned to the room. "Hermione, get up," he demanded shaking her awake.

"What?" she murmured, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"We need to get back to the Ministry. The Unspeakables have been located, but Burke, Liam, and Scorpius were not with them. The Minister wants Flint's interrogation to begin immediately. He's hoping whatever information we can obtain will help us figure out what is going on with Burke. If there is a good chance we are going to have a break-through this morning and I need you there."

She sat on the side of the bed, feeling groggy. "Let me wash up. I'll be ready to leave in five minutes."

Harry nodded and sat down after she'd left the room.

"Why would Burke have taken Scorpius with him?" Draco asked from where he lay.

"I'm not sure," Harry replied. "It's possible he realized that Scorpius had nothing to do with the attacks and was simply removing him and Liam from the premises." He was silent for several seconds. "What's going on between you and Hermione?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?! I come here and find you in bed together! Don't tell me that nothing is going on."

"Merlin, Potter, we were both completely dressed! When I storm the walls of Hermione's virtue it won't be in a room to which you have easy access, it won't be while my son is missing, and it won't be while she is too exhausted to appreciate my performance."

"I noticed you said '_when_' and not '_if_'."

"What?"

"You said '_When_ I storm the walls of Hermione's virtue' not '_If_ I storm the walls."

"I'm tired."

"You want her."

"This is none of your concern."

"She's my best friend, Malfoy. My sister. I won't have her hurt."

"Fuck, Potter, you are a complete wanker. Yes, I want her. Yes, I'm attracted to her. I know that I'm not near good enough, that I in no way measure up to Weasley, that I most likely will make her miserable in spite of my best intentions. But, as soon as I have a chance I'm going to pursue her, try to win her, and make her mine. If by some miracle I succeed, I'll be the luckiest man in the wizarding world."

Harry stared at him, not saying a thing.

Hermione emerged from the loo, her gaze wavering between the two of them. "Are we going?"

Harry nodded.

"I'm coming, too," Draco stated.

"Impossible," Harry said.

"Draco…" Hermione began softly.

"I'm coming. If you have to lock me in an interrogation room or send me down to the cafeteria, or do whatever else you do with your other secret consultants, I don't care. I'm coming."

0-0-0

Hermione was sick to her stomach. She, Harry, Draco, and Percy were watching the interrogation of Ethan Flint from behind a two-way mirror. Well, Harry and Percy were watching it. Hermione glanced up from time to time whenever the screaming and pleading stopped. Draco had viewed the scene for less than two minutes before he'd turned his back to the two-way mirror, his face a cold mask of indifference, and stood stone still.

"I don't know why you are so upset, Hermione. It isn't like we are using Unforgivables," Percy stated with a slight edge to his voice.

Hermione glared at him. "Like that matters!"

"Legally it matters," Percy replied.

"Stuff it," Harry barked, focused on the scene playing out before him.

Flint's questioning had begun under typical regulations. Aurors Dawlish and Robards were barking out questions, threatening a Dementor's kiss if lied to, and threatening to bring in Flint's parents and siblings if they didn't get answers.

Flint had remained calm throughout, even after being given Veritaserum. He'd answered only those questions that did not implicate anyone and laughed off the threats to his family.

Eventually Dawlish had stormed out of the room, saying that he was going to seek permission for harsher interrogation measures to be used.

Flint hadn't responded to the threat.

Robards had then assumed a helpful demeanour. "I know you want out of here. If you were just a bit more helpful we could close the case up. There is no reason to drag this out."

Flint had shrugged, not swayed by Robards' words.

"We know you weren't the mastermind behind these attacks. Just tells us the names of your accomplices and you can make things easier on yourself, easier on those you love."

"I have nothing to say," Flint had replied.

It was then that Percy had given the go ahead for the enhanced interrogation to begin. It had started with several painful hexes – a question and then a hex, a question and then a hex. It didn't matter whether the question was answered or not. At times the Aurors asked two or three questions in a row without hexing, but they would soon start again without any apparent plan or reason for their response.

"This is crazy," Draco had growled once. He'd become more and more twitchy as the interrogation continued.

"They are using variable ratio stimulus of operant conditioning," Percy replied. "A subject is more likely to respond when unsure whether or not he will be rewarded or punished for his behaviour. The subject eventually ends up doing what you want all the time as a means to get what they desire at least some of the time."

"You know an awful lot about this," Hermione commented looking at him suspiciously.

"We started doing research and analysis on harsh interrogation techniques after the attack on you. Muggles have been relying on these types of tactics for generations."

"These aren't tactics," Hermione hissed. "It's torture."

"If it ends the killings and brings down the conspiracy, it's worth it," Percy replied.

Harry shook his head and looked back at the glass.

Flint let out a strangled scream.

"What's going on?" Hermione demanded to know, almost pressing herself up against the glass.

"They've increased the number of hexes they are using in a row," Percy told her.

Flint let out another cry.

"I'm going to be sick," she murmured, faintly.

It was then that Draco came up behind her, turned her away from the mirror, and made her sit down.

Flint screamed again and then began babbling. "There were three of us. We were able to operate without suspicion because of our age. We were going to stop after graduation. We just wanted to get back some respect for pure-bloods."

A Quick Quotes Quill in the room with the investigators took down his every word.

"Who are you working with?"

"Liam Burke and Nicholas Higgs."

Draco and Hermione turned back toward the window.

"The son of Director Max Burke?"

Flint nodded and then leaned over and vomited onto the floor.

They hit him with another hex, this one longer and more painful than previous attacks.

"Fuck! What do you want? I'm telling you what I know!" Flint screamed.

"Well, we don't believe you. We think there is more."

"No," he said. "I promise there isn't."

They hit him again and again.

"Burke has my son," Draco murmured. It looked like he was going to be sick, too.

"What role did Max Burke play in your conspiracy?" Dawlish asked.

"No role. He isn't involved."

"Who have you taken orders from?" Robards asked.

"My grandfather and Liam's grandfather," Flint gasped.

They hit him with a hex again.

"Harry, make them stop," Hermione moaned. "He's cooperating."

Percy shook his head. "We can't interfere. They have just cracked the surface."

Another scream came from behind the glass.

Hermione covered her ears with her hands.

An hour later, after Flint had passed out from the pain, Hermione went in search of Draco. He'd walked out of the room after Flint had named Harry Potter, Severus Snape, and Albus Dumbledore as his accomplices. In the end, Flint had been rambling dozens of names while begging the Aurors to stop the interrogation.

She found him in her office.

"Is it over?" he asked.

Hermione nodded, setting down the notes from the interrogation. "For the last half hour he was just saying whatever he thought we wanted to hear."

Draco nodded. "But before that, he gave you everything he knew."

Hermione shook her head. Everything Flint had told them could have eventually been acquired using the Ministry's typical procedures. It would have taken longer, but it would have worked. Before Hermione could say as much to Draco, Harry rushed into the room.

"Burke just Floo'd into the lobby with Liam and Scorpius."

Draco was on his feet in seconds and heading for the door.

"Malfoy, wait!" Harry interjected, grabbing him by the arm.

"Potter, if you don't release my arm immediately, I'm going to draw my wand."

"It's about Scorpius," Harry replied.

"What about him?"

"They are taking him to St. Mungo's. He's been tortured."

_**Two Years Before**_****

September 2020

Draco wrinkled his nose as he stepped into Hermione's home. Piles of books and papers littered the sofa, tables, and floor. Dirty dishes covered the kitchen counters. The blinds were pulled down and a layer of dust seemed to coat every surface. It looked like the flat a couple of young men just out of Hogwarts might share, not the home of one of the most powerful and influential witches in the Ministry.

It was obvious that Hermione had fallen into a severe depression once Rose and Hugo had returned to Hogwarts. This was the third Wednesday morning coffee meeting with Draco she'd missed in a month. He was determined to try and get her moving and focused again. Since she was trying to avoid him, he was forced to go to her.

"Granger!" he called out from the living room. His shout was met by silence.

"Granger!" he tried again, heading up the stairs that most likely led to the bedrooms.

He opened the first door on the landing and glanced in at what appeared to be Hugo's room. The next door had a plaque with Rose's name hanging on it. Behind the third door was a bathroom. Finally, the fourth door opened to Hermione's bedroom. As he suspected, she was curled up under the covers.

"Granger, this is unacceptable. You stood me up again! The ladies at the coffee shop are beginning to suspect that I can't find company and have started trying to chat me up about all sorts of unbelievably boring things. It is completely your fault. Now get up and shower and let's go get some caffeine."

When Hermione didn't answer, Draco suddenly got nervous that she wasn't just upset, but had done something to herself.

Taking a deep breath, he sat on the bed and reached to pull the blankets back. Just as he grasped a corner, however, he heard a muffled grumble.

"What?"

Hermione finally poked her head out from beneath a pillow. "How did you get in here?"

"Scorpius told me how to lower the wards. Don't ask me how he acquired that information, but I'd get them changed before you become a grandmother unexpectedly."

Hermione blinked. "Are Rose and Scorpius sleeping together?"

Draco shrugged. "I certainly hope not. They are much too young. However, right now I am not worried about them; I am worried about you. You have shut yourself off from everyone. You have taken a leave of absence from work, you've stopped returning Floo calls from family members, and you are avoiding me! Obviously, you are falling apart."

"It's none of your business, Malfoy."

"So what if it isn't my business? It wasn't your business when Astoria left me. It wasn't your business when Scorpius' grades plummeted that year. It wasn't your business when Aurors hauled me in for questioning about Potter's attack. However, in each of those instances, you didn't retrain from sticking your nose into the situation."

"I was just trying to make things better," Hermione sniffed.

"I know that now. I even - Merlin, I can't believe I'm saying this - appreciate it now. However, at the time, I thought you were an interfering bint. Nevertheless, you didn't let my opinion stop you and I'm not going to let yours stop me."

Hermione turned over on her side and stared at the wall. "It isn't the same thing at all, Draco. You hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't your fault that Astoria left. It wasn't your fault that Scorpius took out his unhappiness about the divorce by refusing to study. And it definitely wasn't your fault that you were targeted for questioning by the Aurors just because of your suspicious 'cooperative' behaviour."

"And it isn't your fault Ron is dead," he told her softly

"But it is! My children have lost their father, the Weasleys have lost another son, and I have lost my husband – the only man I've ever loved, all because of my stupid, self-righteous beliefs!"

"What in the world are you going on about?"

"I was the one who was so adamant about following standard procedures and not using Veritaserum on anyone without probable cause. After your interrogation, I set up so many protections for those submitting to voluntary interviews that I might as well have cast the killing curse on Ron myself. I should be the one who is dead. I am the one who made it all possible!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Granger!" Draco snapped completely horrified to hear her blaming herself for Weasley's death. "You are no more responsible for Ron's murder than Potter, or the Minister, or Arthur Weasley. You could have gone after everyone with the slightest connection to Voldemort, locked them up, used vats of Veritaserum on them, and this still could have happened. It's impossible to keep someone perfectly safe."

"I could have done more. I should have done more."

"Like what? Should you have not only forced me to take Veritaserum but forced it on everyone who'd ever taken the Dark Mark? Why stop there? Why not just lock us all up? Obviously, there is a chance we are still dangerous."

"If it could have saved Ron, I should have done it."

"What if that didn't work? What if that hadn't revealed anything? What then? Do you haul in the families – the wives and children – of former Death Eaters? Force people who have never been charged or suspected of wrong doing in their lives to talk? Should they have been subjected to questioning or maybe they should go straight to prison, too?"

"What if someone knew something, but I never talked to them? Or worse, what if I did talk to them, but they lied to me? I should have tried harder."

"But you did try! You pushed, and Weasley pushed, and the entire Ministry pushed. Had you pushed any further, tried any harder, trampled over the rights of innocents searching for the guilty, where would you be now?"

"With my husband!"

"Maybe. But you'd still be unhappy. Not about his loss, but about the loss of your integrity and scruples."

"I could live without them more easily than I can live without Ron."

"Don't be so sure, Granger. I tried living without mine for over two decades and there are few days that go by that I don't deeply regret giving them up."

Hermione didn't speak, looking thoughtful at his words.

"Enough wallowing," he drawled. "Take a shower and get dressed. We still have time for coffee."

"I don't want coffee," she told him. "I want to wallow."

"Granger, you can spend the rest of the week crying about your husband, wishing you were a stronger person, and being utterly self-absorbed and selfish. On Wednesdays, however, I expect you to pull yourself together and at least pretend you care about someone else's problems. Namely mine! I have issues that need to be discussed. Now unless you wish me to lose complete respect for you, and since I didn't have much to begin with you can't afford to muck around, pull yourself together so we can go."

"Stop being a jackass and go away."

"I think we both know neither of those things is going to occur, primarily due to a distinct lack of desire on my part."

Hermione buried her head beneath her pillows, seemingly determined to ignore him.

"_Evanesco_."

"Hey!" she shouted, looking outraged despite of her red eyes and nose. "I loved that pillow."

"The blankets are going next," he replied calmly. "If you think this delaying tactic means that I'm going to end up buying you lunch, you can just forget it. We are going Dutch no matter what time we escape your hovel."

"Please stop being so mean!" she cried.

Draco almost gave in; he almost gathered her into his arms and stroked her and hugged her and made promises that things would eventually get better, but he didn't. She had all her ruddy Gryffindor friends to coddle her. He was not going to succumb to her weakness. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I am not treating you any differently than I ever have before. I don't understand why you must whine now."

Hermione pulled a blanket over her head. "Circumstances change people, Malfoy."

"Yeah, wasn't that my father's argument at his trial as a Death Eater?"

Hermione pulled the blanket back down again. "You aren't going to leave, are you?"

"My persistence is one of my best qualities."

"Only because you have so few other good qualities to choose from," Hermione mumbled.

Draco chuckled and then Vanished her blanket.

"Damn it!" Hermione shouted. "Fine! I'll get up. Leave the room so I can shower."

"I don't think so," Draco replied. "You've become notoriously unreliable, lately. I'd better remain just to make sure you follow through."

"You realize I still have my wand, right?"

Draco blinked several times and then slowly rose from the edge of the bed. "Perhaps I'll go wait in the sitting room."

"Good call."

**Author's Notes: Big thanks to my beta Kazfeist and my cheerleader thebigdisaster. Also to the reviewers who were so kind to leave me a note about what they liked about the story – alina290, CaramelWillow, TWN24, nmmi-nut, Sarcalogos, and voldyismyfather.**


	7. Chapter 7

**30 May 2022**

Hermione stood along Draco at the rear of Scorpius' hospital room. She watched as her daughter clutched Scorpius' hand in hers, whispering things to him, unable to drag her eyes from his face despite the fact that he had spent the last ten minutes reassuring her that he was fine. It reminded her of sitting next to Ron in sixth year as he recovered from being poisoned.

"Did he tell you what happened to him?" she asked Draco. She had already read the report. He'd been interrogated under Veritaserum; Burke had then used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Lucius and begged Scorpius to confess. The boy had next been blinded, had had his arm broken, and been hexed until he'd confessed to being part of the assassination conspiracy. He'd named everyone from Draco, to his grandmother, to Rose as his accomplices.

"He's told me a little of it," Draco replied softly, his eyes dark as he watched his son. "I doubt I will ever get the entire story. I think he's embarrassed."

Hermione nodded. She remembered her own feelings of confusion, pain, and embarrassment after surviving Belltrix's Cruciatus Curse. "Are you going to take any actions against the Ministry?"

Draco shook his head. "Flint and Liam are going to prison. That's enough for me. I'm just glad that it's over."

Hermione believed he was being much too forgiving. She wasn't satisfied with just the imprisonment of Flint and Liam Burke. She was also going to make sure that Max Burke paid for this role in the affair. While she didn't blame the man for having been led astray by his son into thinking that Scorpius might be part of the assassination conspiracy, his actions after he suspected Liam's involvement were inexcusable. Instead of bringing both Scorpius and Liam to the Ministry to have things sorted out, he'd taken them to a safe house used by Unspeakables and tortured a 'confession' out of Scorpius. When he'd finally brought both the boys back to London, it had taken Harry's Aurors less than fifteen minutes to find physical evidence that cleared Scorpius and implicated Liam in the murders. There was no way she was going to ignore Burke's actions.

Taking a deep breath, she reached over and took Draco's hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm so sorry, Draco."

He gave her a self-deprecating smile. "What do you have to be sorry about, Granger? You are the one from the beginning who protested the use of harsh interrogation methods. You are the one who insisted that there were other ways to find out what we needed to know. I refused to listen to you. I gave Burke, Potter, and the Minister arguments in support of torture. I am the one who is sorry."

_**One Year Before**_

2 May 2021

Hermione and Harry ran from steps of Hogwarts towards the greenhouses. They had just arrived by Floo and were desperate to see for themselves that Al and Rose were fine. The grounds were crawling with Aurors, personnel from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Unspeakables. The two of them were stopped and checked for Dark Magic before being allowed to resume their progress across the grounds.

"Rose!" Hermione screamed, sounding panicked. She knew giving into her fear was not a good example to be setting for her department members, but she didn't care. She had to see her daughter, had to make sure that Rose was alright. She couldn't bear to lose her, not just a year after losing Ron.

"Rose!" she called again.

"Hermione, over here!" she heard a male voice call out to her.

She turned and saw Draco standing next Scorpius who was holding a sobbing Rose in his arms.

"Darling!" Hermione called, reaching for her daughter. Rose immediately turned toward her and clasped her arms around her mother's neck. "It was awful!" she cried into Hermione's robes.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Hermione asked, needing confirmation of her daughter's condition.

Rose nodded, but did not pull back from her mother's embrace.

Hermione felt herself take a deep breath for the first time since hearing the news about the attack at Hogwarts.

In an attempt to prevent another assassination, the Ministry had put her, Harry, the Minister of Magic, and all the former members of the Order of the Phoenix, under protective custody for the day. However, instead of targeting any Ministry officials, the assassins had gone after a member of Dumbledore's Army - Neville Longbottom.

Three people dressed in Death Eater robes had pushed their way into Greenhouse Two, while Neville had been giving Al, Scorpius, and Rose a detention for some minor infraction. While two of the masked men had trained their wands on the students, the other one had cast the Killing Curse at Neville. The assassins had successfully escaped into the Forbidden Forest despite being pursued by Al and Scorpius.

Harry and Hermione had learned of the attack just moments after word reached the Ministry. They'd immediately left the safe house, despite protests from their guards that it could be a trap, and Floo'd to Hogwarts.

Hermione looked couldn't help but look around at the chaos surrounding them. Dozens of Aurors were standing guard, conducting interviews with students, or collecting evidence from the crime scene. Harry was standing by the door of Greenhouse Two, his arm wrapped tightly around Al, barking out orders. Draco was nearby with his hand on Scorpius' shoulder. He nodded at her when she caught his eye. Hogwarts' governours, who'd been meeting inside the school when the attack took place, were standing in small groups on the grounds discussing how they were going to reassure parents that their children were safe.

Hermione was in shock. It had been too much to hope that the assassins would allow this anniversary of Voldemort's defeat to pass unobserved. However, she never expected that they would target someone without political influence, someone whose death wouldn't accomplish anything in terms of weakening the wizarding government. Yet that is exactly what they'd done. If they had wanted to terrorize society they couldn't have picked a more effective method. _How better to strike fear into people's hearts than attack someone close to their children?_

As Hermione hugged Rose more tightly to her and kissed her hair, she had a sinking feeling that as bad as things had appeared before, they had just gotten appreciably worse.

**19 July 2021**

"Please tell me this isn't true!" Hermione said, as he stormed into Draco's office and waved a piece of paper in front of his face.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "Would you like to have a seat, Granger, until I'm finished?" He looked pointedly at the two administrative assistants that were seated across from him.

"No, I would not like to have a seat. I would like to know where you get off publicly sponsoring a bill that would permit the Ministry to invade people's privacy?! Collecting lists of books people buy, monitoring their travel by Floo, and adding tracking spells to the wands of pure-bloods? I thought we lived in a free society, a society that did not randomly investigate people just because of their families, their friends, or their blood status?"

One of the assistants looked taken aback. "Would you like me to call security, Mr. Malfoy?" he asked.

Draco shook his head. "It's fine. The Widow Weasley and I are old friends. She is accustomed to taking liberties and doesn't have any social graces."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You both can go ahead and leave for lunch. Meet me back here at 1:00 and we'll finish the briefing then."

The two assistants nodded and left Draco's office.

As soon as they were gone, Draco turned on Hermione. "Just what the hell are you doing here? I thought we had agreed to meet for coffee tomorrow."

"We had," Hermione huffed, "until I realized that you wanted to meet me in a Muggle location just so that you could try and prevent me from hexing the shit out of you."

"You have no idea what you are talking about," Draco replied. "I simply know how much you love no-fat lattes. I'm nothing if not considerate and thoughtful."

"Right. You are so full of it. Seriously, Draco just what the hell are you thinking?"

Draco wanted to sneer at her. _Merlin, she could be such a pill._ "I was thinking that I want these killers caught. I was thinking that I never want Scorpius to be in a situation again where he has to witness someone being murdered. I was thinking that next time the attacker could target you! Do you have a death wish?"

"Of course not! But security doesn't mean anything if we have to give up all our freedoms to attain it."

"Bullshite," he growled. "Freedom and privacy doesn't mean anything if you are dead."

"I'm going to work against the passage of your suggestions," she told him. "I hope they never see the light of day!"

"Well, if you succeed in convincing the Ministry not to adopt them, I promise to buy a big wreath of mums for your funeral," he shot back.

"Merlin, have you always been such a righteous prig?"

"Yes, I have. So don't try to use it as an excuse to end our acquaintance," he informed her.

Hermione shook her head, but her lips quirked up in a tiny smile. "I'm not sure I can be seen spending time with someone who is so willing to throw away something as precious as his privacy and freedom. You may not have noticed, but I have fairly high standards for who I selected as friends."

"Please," Draco scoffed. "How high can your standards be when your best friend goes by the nickname, Wee Potty Potter?"

"He does not!" Hermione laughed. "Why do I spend any time at all with you?"

"I certainly don't know, but it probably has to do with some misplaced desire of yours to save me."

She rolled her eyes again. "Could that it be done?"

"What?"

"Are you salvageable?"

Draco suddenly turned serious and gave her a look that she hadn't seen on a man's face since before Ron's death. He nodded slowly. "Yes, I am, Granger. But I doubt you'd be willing to pay the price to save me."

Hermione wet her lips and waited for him to continue. When he didn't say anything else, she broke eye contact, glanced down at her watch, and let out a little sigh. "I have to go. My lunch hour is almost up. Please think about withdrawing your proposal to the Minister, Draco."

Draco gave her a sad smile and shook his head. "I will consider it about as long as you'll consider dropping your objections to my proposal and supporting it."

"You know I can't do that."

"I know nothing of the sort."

"Can we continue this tomorrow over coffee?" she asked, suddenly anxious that her abrasive attitude had finally convinced him to break off all future contact with her.

"We can, although I prefer that we engaged in typical Wednesday morning topic of conversation."

"Your current skin care regime?" Hermione teased.

"No, your lack of tact and insistence on patronizing a blind hairstylist."

"Draco!"

He chuckled and rose from his seat. "Let me walk you to the lifts, Granger."

_**Today**_

2 July 2022

Hermione had refused to work more than eight hours a day since Hugo and Rose had returned from Hogwarts for the summer. Although she was directing the case against those who'd be involved in the assassination conspiracy, she had insisted that her office be allowed to hire several more prosecutors. All aspects of the case from the arrests, to the questioning, to the prosecutions, were going to be handled by the books. There wouldn't be any shoddy witnesses or illegally acquired evidence. She'd get everyone locked up, but through the proper channels, using just the law as her ally.

The discovery that Max Burke's wife had been the daughter of Death Eater, John Avery, and that Liam had visited his grandfather in Azkaban once a year had provided the legal evidence to back up Flint's torture induced testimony. Apparently, Avery and Ephraim Flint, inspired by Dolohov's murder of Shacklebolt, had convinced their grandsons and to go after other war heroes.

The Hogwarts' students had avoided detection by using a stolen wands and keeping track of the Ministry's handling of the case by Liam reading his father's reports. They had never planned to overthrow the Ministry. It had all been about creating an atmosphere of terror, all about retribution for the loss of status by the former wizarding elite.

Max Burke had gotten fired from the Ministry for what happened to Scorpius. Hermione wanted to prosecute him, but the Minister had convinced her that such a course would reveal too many Department of Mystery secrets and undermine the confidence of the wizarding population in the government. She would have pushed it, but Draco had asked her to let it go.

Stepping out of the Floo into her living room, Hermione found the house unsettlingly quiet for a summer evening when Rose and Hugo were both supposed to be at home. Casting a quick locating spell, she followed the pointing of her wand through the kitchen and out the back door.

"Mum!" Rose cried, hopping up from her seat next to Scorpius and giving Hermione a big hug. "We are having an impromptu cookout!"

Hermione glanced around the garden. Hugo was on his broom in the air with Al and Lily, while Ginny shouted Quidditch tips from the ground. James and a girl that Hermione didn't recognize were curled up together in a hammock charmed to never stop rocking. Meanwhile, Harry and Draco stood over the grill arguing about the proper way to light charcoal.

Smiling softly, Hermione glanced toward Scorpius. "You are looking much better."

He nodded. "I'm feeling fine. I'd be in the air with Al and Hugo right now if Rose wasn't such a worrier."

Rose frowned at him, but Hermione just smiled wider. "It's a family trait, I'm afraid." She then moved off the porch and made her way across the yard to Draco and Harry.

"Hermione," Harry called out upon seeing her approach. "Tell Malfoy that the proper way to light charcoal is with a match."

"Granger, inform Potter that it bloody hell doesn't matter if you light charcoal with a match or a wand. In fact, a wand is the preferable way to start a fire since it is much more efficient."

Hermione shrugged. "I'm really not an expert."

They both looked at her in shock and suspicion. "However," she continued with a smile, "Ron used to start the grill with his wand."

Draco puffed out his chest. "Just another thing that Weasley and I had in common."

"The only thing," Harry muttered.

Draco snorted. "You are wrong as usual, Potter."

"Name one other thing you and Ron had in common!"

"We are both pure-bloods."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Name another."

"We both angered Granger enough to make her physically assault us."

Harry looked thoughtful, but Hermione wondered just how in the world Malfoy had heard the story of her attacking Ron in the tent after he'd returned to her and Harry during the Horcrux hunt.

"And," Draco continued, obviously feeling like he hadn't yet made his point. "Weasley and I both found Granger's over-bearing, bossy, and know-it-all attitude to be quite a turn-on."

"I'm going to be sick," Harry muttered turning toward the grill and lighting it with his wand.

Malfoy smirked and Hermione's mouth dropped open as she stared at him in amazement.

0-0-0

Several hours later Hermione and Draco sat at her kitchen table. The Potters had returned home, Hugo had gone up to his room to read, and Scorpius and Rose had taken over the hammock in the backyard. "Ron would be out there checking on them every five minutes if he were still here," Hermione murmured.

"Don't look at me. If you want someone to play gooseberry, send Hugo outside."

"Gooseberry?" Hermione inquired in an amused tone.

"Do Muggles not use that term?" Draco asked, his eyebrows drawn together.

"Sure. If they are over eighty and are talking to the other people at the Senior Centre."

Draco smiled at her indulgently. "You are such a card, Granger. You really should take your act on the road."

Hermione smiled back at him briefly before biting her lip. "Did you mean it earlier?" she finally asked, sounding unsure.

Draco arched an eyebrow. "Mean what?"

"That you found me attractive?"

He smirked. "I believe I said you turned me on. Yes, I meant it. And for the record, I find you attractive, too."

She blushed. "Why did you never say anything before?"

He shrugged lightly. "It felt too soon, or there was always something in the way, or I wasn't confident you would return or even welcome my attention."

She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. "And now?"

"Now, I've decided that it's never going to be the 'perfect time.' It's better to just lay things on the line and risk failing. I don't want to waste more time speculating about what could go wrong, when we could be spending that time together."

She nodded and squeezed his hand tightly. "You're right. We definitely shouldn't waste more time."

TBC

**Author's Notes: Big thanks to my beta Kazfeist and my cheerleader thebigdisaster. Also a hug of thanks to the reviewers who were so kind to leave me a note about what they liked about the story –****Lilmzhln18, CaramelWillow, RandomObsessivePsychoFangirl, alina290, MissTrollQueen, voldyismyfather, .. **

**This story is almost done. I've just got the epilogue to post. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with it to this point!**


	8. Epilogue

**15 June 2027  
**  
Hermione clasped a strand of pearls around her neck. They had been a gift from Draco to her on their wedding day three years ago. She had protested at the time that they were impractical, but she did enjoy having something so lovely to wear on special occasions.

She saw him approach in the mirror. "How is everything downstairs?"

"Percolating like a well-brewed cauldron of Pepper-Up Potion. Scorpius arrived about an hour ago and is ensconced in the library with Albus trying to fight off an attack of nerves."

Hermione swatted his arm as he swept aside her hair to nibble at her neck.

"Draco," she scolded, although the tone of her voice told him she wasn't at all serious. "I need to finish getting ready."

"Anything else you do to your toilette will be 'gilding the lily', luv. The bride will not thank you for outshining her."

Hermione laughed, secretly pleased by his compliment. "Please don't exaggerate! There is no way you mean it."

"I absolutely do!" he exclaimed, catching her eye in the mirror. "You are stunning. Your hair cascades down your back like gentle wave, your eyes shine with happiness, and your figure… well, your figure is more enticing than a summer day on the French Rivera."

"High praise, indeed!" Hermione smiled, blushing slightly.

Draco shook his head and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "Not at all. It doesn't even come close to describing your loveliness."

Hermione's smile grew wider and Draco once again dipped his head to nibble on her neck.

There was a knock on the door. "Mum? Oh, Merlin, are you two at it again?"

Hermione turned around to see her son standing in the doorway, his ears red. "What is it Hugo?"

"The guests are beginning to arrive."

She nodded and turned to Draco.

"I'll go greet everyone and Hugo, Fred and Louis can start seating people in the garden."

"Thank you, darling," Hermione smiled, giving his hand a squeeze. "I'm just going to finish up here and then go check on Rose and Lily."

As her husband and son left the room, Hermione thought back on her wedding to Draco. It had been a small ceremony with only family members in attendance. Neither had wanted anything extravagant, both agreeing that the ceremony was not nearly as important as marriage that would follow it.

And what a wonderful marriage it had been! It was full of understanding, companionship, amusement, and a healthy dose of lust. Although they still spent a lot of time at odds over details, they agreed about most of the central aspects of life – about the importance of family, staying healthy, doing everything in moderation, and on remaining patient. They were a team, the best of friends and incredible lovers. It was everything that a good marriage was supposed to be and Hermione was grateful to have been able to find it twice in one lifetime.

Hermione dabbed a bit of perfume behind her ears and left the room to go see Rose. She was confident that her daughter would be just as lucky in her marriage.

0-0-0

Almost an hour later, Hermione stood arm in arm with Draco, ready to take her assigned seat for the wedding.

"Does it bother you that Rose asked Harry to walk her down the aisle?" Hermione asked as Draco escorted her toward the front row.

"Absolutely not!" he replied sincerely. "I would much rather walk her beautiful mother down the aisle."

She smiled up at him. "You are such a charming man when you put your mind to it."

He angled his head toward her slightly. "It's hard _not_ to be charming when in the company of such a captivating woman."

Hermione giggled, causing several of the wedding guests – including Astoria – to raise their eyebrows at them. While she was not embarrassed by her and Draco's affectionate relationship, she blushed at the attention focused on them.

Draco smiled at her in understanding, although he loved being the focus of all eyes. "We should give them something to look at," he whispered, sitting down next to her.

She shook her head. "Not here and not now," she replied quietly.

He nodded, but his smile grew into a smirk. "You realize that means somewhere else and later, right? I'm going to hold you to that."

Hermione wanted to laugh because he looked so much like his younger self – cocky after having successfully manipulated a situation to his benefit. Overcome by the wave of nostalgia, she wanted to grab him by the hand and drag him off into the bushes behind the dais. Instead she settled for kissing him softly on the lips, delighted, once again, to have had the good judgment to link her life to his.

She sat up straight and held his hand as Scorpius and Al took their places in front of the guests. She felt Draco squeeze her fingers as the music started and Lily walked down the aisle looking enchanting in a strapless, pale blue dress. The music changed again and everyone stood up, their heads turned to focus on Harry walking with Rose on his arm toward Scorpius.

A stab of grief clutched Hermione's heart for a moment. It was so unfair that Ron wasn't here to give his daughter away. He should be the one walking her down the aisle while staring sternly at Scorpius. He should be the one standing next to Hermione his eyes filled with tears because his little girl was all grown-up. She felt Draco's hand rubbing her back gently and her sorrow started to fade. She leaned against him and let his strength sustain her through ceremony.

Once the vows had been exchanged and Scorpius had kissed his bride, Hermione and Draco parted to see that all the guests found their tables and were enjoying themselves. Many of Hermione's former housemates pulled her aside and congratulated her on how lovely Rose had looked and how proud Ron would have been. She was able to smile at their comments, certain they were right.

As she moved between tables, someone grabbed her wrist.

"May I have this dance?"

Hermione looked up into Draco's face. She hadn't planned on spending the evening dancing. As the mother of the bride she needed to mingle and thank all the guests for coming. However, when she didn't immediately answer him, Draco raised an eyebrow mockingly. She could tell he expected her to refuse.

She decided to surprise him. "Thank you; that would be lovely."

Draco swept her onto the dance floor. "Has anyone besides me told you how lovely you look this evening?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Hermione pursed her lips, unsure what he was trying to accomplish with that question. If she said 'no,' she'd be lying and he'd know it.  
However, if she answered 'yes,' he'd probably accuse her of being conceited – which she was not. Rather than answer, she decided to put him on the defensive. "Do you mean lovely for someone old enough to have a married daughter?"

Draco stopped dancing, drawing all eyes toward them. "I certainly do not! I would have thought that you were bright enough to understand that beauty does not have anything to do with age."

Hermione felt her cheeks grow red. "Of c-course it doesn't," she stammered tugging on his arm. "Let's continue dancing."

"No."

"Draco!" she hissed, not quite loud enough to be heard by the other dancers. "We are drawing attention."

He shrugged. "I don't think I can continue until I've convinced you just how glorious you are."

"I'm convinced. Let's dance."

He frowned. "Why do I suspect that you are simply trying to placate me?"

"Because you have a devious mind." She tugged on his arm. "Now will you please start dancing again?"

Draco looked around. "We do seem to be the center of attention."  
"And it is completely inappropriate. Today is supposed to be Rose's and Scorpius' day."

"I'm sure they won't mind sharing the limelight with us for a just a few moments," he grinned, tightening his arms around her.

"What are you on ab—" Hermione's words were cut off by Draco covering her mouth with his own. She struggled briefly, hoping to pull away, but it was useless. Moreover, as his lips continued to tease hers, she soon forgot about the guests, her embarrassment, and the bride and groom. All she could concentrate on, all she could think about was how good he made her feel. When he finally broke their kiss, she was breathless and dreamy-eyed.

"I love you, Mrs. Malfoy," he whispered, before sweeping her back in a low dip, just as the music ended.

The rest of the reception passed swiftly. Before long it was time for Scorpius and Rose to leave for their honeymoon.

Draco glanced at his watch and frowned. "What is taking them so long? They went upstairs to change out of their wedding finery and into their travelling clothes 30 minutes ago. They should be back by now. The guests are getting antsy to wave goodbye."

Hermione gripped his arm and smiled up at him. "If I remember correctly it took us forty minutes to change after our reception."

Draco scoffed. "It took us 10 minutes to dress and 30 minutes for me to go down on you and have you screaming about how glad you were to finally be Mrs. Malfoy."

Hermione blushed slightly. "Then I'm sure Rose and Scorpius won't be much longer."

Draco wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. "Once they are gone, how long do I have to wait before throwing all these buggers out and dragging you upstairs to have my way with you?"

Hermione stood on her tip toes and nipped at his lip. "Only as long as it takes you to clear the house without being rude or using unnecessary magic."

He groaned into her mouth and was about to start an argument about exactly what she considered unnecessary magic when Rose and Scorpius emerged from the house in their travelling clothes looking flushed and slightly dishevelled.

"I can't believe that boy can't even wait until he gets away from here to molest his wife," Draco muttered with a shake of his head.

"Like father, like son," Hermione laughed, squeezing him tightly around the waist and feeling happier than she could ever remembered having been.

The reception seemed to drag on once Rose and Scorpius had departed. Hermione managed to say goodbye to most of the departing guests, thanking them for sharing the day with her and reminiscing with them about Rose's childhood. Eventually, everyone was gone except for Draco and Hugo. Hermione left them to clean up the garden, while she went to the kitchen and charmed the dishes to wash themselves.

Hermione was exhausted when she finally crawled into bed next to Draco. "What an amazing day! I can't believe everything went so well, especially considering your parents and Arthur and Molly were sitting at the same table. I really expected there would be some sort of embarrassing incident."

"That is because you, my darling, leave too many things to chance."

"What do you mean? What did you do?"

"Just cast a cheering charm on the table… and maybe bribed house elves at the Manor to slip a Valum into my parents morning coffee."

Hermione tried to look stern, because really she did not approve of such methods. One should expect adult witches and wizards to act like mature grown-ups without having to put them under the influence of artificial stimuli. Of course, she would have hated to have Rose's and Scorpius' wedding day marred by anyone's – even their grandparents – adolescent behaviour. With a jolt, Hermione sat straight up in bed. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "Is that why your parents were so well behaved at our wedding?"

"Or course not," Draco replied comfortingly, reaching over and pull Hermione down next to him. "I had to use much stronger methods at our wedding!"

"I can't believe you!" Hermione exclaimed.

Draco pressed a kiss against her lips and slid his hand up her arm. "Of course you can." He began to nuzzle her neck causing delightful sensations to travel up and down her spine. "In fact, I think you would be slightly disappointed if I behaved any differently."

Hermione pressed herself closer. She could feel every inch of him through her thin nightgown. She almost forgot about scolding him. "Do you intervene at every event both our families attend?"

"Mummm," he hummed, nodding against her breasts.

"Draco! Please pay attention to me."

He looked up at her face. "Woman, I am _trying_ to pay attention to you. If you would only close your mouth I could pay even greater attention to you."

Hermione wanted to slug him or protest or something, but he was pushing up her nightgown and nuzzling her breasts and it just didn't seem that important any more. She arched her back and pushed against him. He lifted his head and smiled up at her. Overwhelmed by love, and lust, and affection she grasped his face between her hands and pressed her lips against his forcefully. His mouth opened and she pushed her tongue into it, revelling in the familiarity, and enjoying the feeling of his response to her aggression. She loved how Draco enjoyed both her strength and her surrender. It was what made them such a successful couple.

She broke away to take a shuddering breath and within seconds Draco was posed over her, capturing her lips, tugging and caressing them with his, while his hands were slowly divesting her of her clothing. When he finally released her mouth, Hermione's chest was rising rapidly and she was on the edge of losing her mind.

"Please..."

And then he was inside her and it was as hot and exciting as their first time together.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she murmured again and again as he continued to press deeply into her. Under the skilled work of his lips and hands, she soon spiralled out of control, gripping him tightly to her as he too went mindless.

Several minutes later, after they had regained their senses, Hermione cuddled closer to Draco. "Do you think things will be different now?"

"No," he replied.

"But Rose is leaving and she and Scorpius won't be around so much anymore and before long they might have children and then we'll have to do all sorts of grandparent-type activities and everyone will think we are old and then we'll start to act old. You'll start complaining about you bad back, and I'll get headaches, and we'll never kiss or have sex anymore."

Draco laughed. "That is never going to happen."

"What?"

"We are never going to act old."

"Of course we will; it's inevitable."

Draco kissed the top of her head. "Darling you've met my parents, right?"

"Of course, but what does that have to do with us?"

"Well, they are the kind of grandparents we will be – young, virile, active, and sexy. No one who sees us will ever suspect that we have married children, let along grandchildren. They will assume that we are the same amazing, intelligent, and highly sensual people we've always been."

Hermione frowned slightly. "There is no way I can be a grandparent like your mother! Didn't you tell me she refused to have anything to do with Scorpius until he could act like a well mannered and civilized wizard?"

Draco nodded.

"Well, I just don't see any child of Rose's reaching that stage until he or she is at least twenty. I want to be a grandparent like Molly. The kind that the kids love to visit so much that they hate to return home to their parents. I want to spoil them and give all the treats their parents refuse to indulge in. I want them to tell me their secrets and come to me for advice and see me as safe harbour for the unreasonableness of the rest of the world."

"Perhaps a compromise? We stay young, energetic, and sexy, but at the same time do everything in our power to replace Rose and Scorpius as the favourite people in their children's affections."

"Draco, that is _not_ what I meant!"

He smiled at her and patted the pillow next to his head. "Oh well. We have at least a good nine months to plan it all out. I daresay we'll figure something out in that time."

"Alright," she said quietly before lying down next to him and giving him one last, lingering kiss before sleep overtook her.

The End


End file.
